Jonglei, Pibor sign agreement to end cycle of communal violence

Deputy Governor of Jonglei State, Atong Kuol Manyang and Greater Pibor Chief Administrator Peter Guzulu Maze, signed the documents on behalf of their respective governments.

By Riak Chol

Authorities in Jonglei State and the Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA) have signed new modalities to end cycles of violence among the communities.

Jonglei Deputy Governor, Atong Kuol Manyang and Greater Pibor Chief Administrator Peter Guzulu Maze, signed the documents on behalf of their respective governments.

Speaking at the event, the Deputy Governor said the criminals are affecting livelihoods of innocent citizens in Jonglei and the Greater Pibor

“This particular workshop is not to point out which side is right or wrong, but to face the reality that activities of the criminals from both sides are affecting us. Two wrongs don’t make right hence revenge attacks must be stopped by youth from both sides,” Atong said.

She urged the governments of Jonglei State and the Greater Pibor Administrative Area to expedite the implementation of the resolutions.

“I am appealing to the two governments of Jonglei State and Greater Pibor Administrative Area to develop mechanisms for speedy implementation of these resolutions,” Atong said.

For his part, Peter Guzulu, Chief Administrator of the Greater Pibor Administrative Area commended the conference and called for more similar conferences.

He called on both Jonglei and the Greater Pibor administrations to always treat criminals as criminals without giving them any protection.

“We need to convince our communities to treat criminals as criminals. Whoever takes the law into his own hand must be treated as criminal and should not be protected and if we don’t protect criminals, criminals will be located, targeted, arrested, and tried and we will be free,” Guzulu said.

He pledged to implement the resolutions to ensure peace prevails among the communities of Jonglei and the Greater Pibor Administrative Area.

“As chief administrator, I will try my best. I had a lot of complaints that there are many youths in bushes all over here. I am trying with my team to see if we can reach out to those criminals to go home,” Guzulu said.

“We are working hard to see that all our roads open peacefully. We want to see that there is a change this year and we need our people to live in peace rather than raiding themselves,” he added.

“This particular workshop is not to point out which side is right or wrong, but to face the reality that activities of the criminals from both sides are affecting us,” Atong Kuol Manyang, Jonglei State Deputy Governor.