By Staff Writer
The host community and the Internally Displaced Persons in Mangalla Payam, Central Equatoria State, have agreed to strengthen social coexistence among the communities there.
The residents made a promise during a Community Dialogue on Conflict and Trauma healing approach among different ethnicities held at the site in April.
“It has built trust and confidence among the displaced persons and the host community here in Mangalla. And as a result, we are opened to discussing differences together and suggesting joint actions for past disputes,” James Mayen Manyuon, Twic East Community Chief said during the meeting.
“Otherwise, the communities are empowered to resolve their differences in more peaceful manners rather than violence approaches,” he added.
The Dialogue under the auspices of Christian Agency for Peace and Development (CAPaD) was funded by USAID through Democracy International -Success Program.
During the chiefs’ engagement, the group identified negative issues that affect their relations; hence they are determined to resolving those issues amicably according to the chiefs’ representative.
“This forum would bridge a gap of conflict issues that affect our togetherness as IDPs and the host communities” Mayen cited.
He added that there was a need to build more peaceful communities across the country.
The dialogue attended by over 20 stakeholders brought together IDPs and host community youth leaders, women leaders and church leaders respectively.
Mr. Samson Wani Kenyi, Bari community youth leader in Mangalla emphasized a need for peaceful coexistence among ethnic communities in Mangalla.
He further added that if all the leaders who participated in the dialogue commit to the resolutions, then it will eventually lead to the reduction of ethnic differences among the people there.
Due to ongoing floods in Jonglei, thousands of people were displaced from their vicinities to seek shelters in Mangalla, Central Equatoria state last year.
From the recent months, little conflict has continued to be reported among the IDPs and host communities in Mangalla, due to cattle and minor communal issues for instance, limited boreholes, limited health facilities, mistrust and fear of land grabbing as well as unnecessary cutting down of trees.
But in order to boost communal relation in Mangalla Payam, Mr. Kuch Maluk, the Project Officer of the organization said the agency took an initiative to conduct dialogue on conflict and trauma healing approaches among different ethnicities as a roadmap to revive the relations.
“We felt that there was a need to build trauma free and peaceful communities through engaging with local stakeholders,” he said.
The dialogue discussed topics related to land grapping, cattle and goats thefts, unnecessary cutting down of tress in the areas of Mangalla Payam without prior knowledge of native authorities, limited boreholes and limited health facilities.
As a result, the various communities’ leaders have promised to revive the relations as far as peaceful coexistence is concerned.
