By Lodu William Odiya
In the move to intensifying efforts to reduce violence and expand livelihood project to strengthen community structures and improve resilience for vulnerable communities in Rubkona of Unity State, Two hundred thousand people alerted to refrain from revenge killings and cattle raiding.
Save the Children as the lead partner in collaboration with Tearfund and Coalition for Humanity empowered local leaders and households to build safer and more resilient environment in Rubkona Payam of Unity state.
Speaking to the media early this month, John Kangkang Kuol, Director for Peace Building, Peace Coordinator for Rubkona County said that his committee disseminate peace messages to the entire Boma and payam of Rubkona County.
“We empowered community for peace and prosperity. And then, we went through the peace session, the peace awareness at the community level. We have formed the first team under supervision of the area based steering committee led by the Ministry of Peace Building” he said.
According to Kangkang, their peace dissemination was to normalize the high insecurity that was in the area.
He said they conducted consecutive conflict resolution that translated conflict into transformation between the community.
“We have come to understand our communities that were divided are now getting together now because of peace” he said.
Kangkang underscored they had also conducted radio talk show which covered three topics which includes early child marriage, cattle raiding and also revenge killings.
“Went through the cattle raiding. So, our radio covers nine counties including the Ruweng administrative area up to Pangak, Biamdam. We covered Approximately 200,000 people have heard of this message. We delivered this message to stop or to refrain from such kind of activities. We talked on the rebel kills. We told them the disadvantages of the rebel kills” he explained.
Meanwhile, Peter Par Tap, Director General in the Ministry of peace building in Unity state emphasized that as the peace conference has led to peaceful cohesion among the communities.
“As the result of peace agreement and the issue of flooding have brought people together and now the communities are leaving in peace” he said.
The European Union “Building Resilient Communities” initiative to strengthen community structures and improve resilience in conflict-affected areas of South Sudan.
Since January 2024, the program has reinforced community-led peace dialogues, strengthened women and youth leadership, promoted entrepreneurship and agricultural productivity, improved natural resource management, and expanded access to sustainable clean water.