South Sudan official says federalism is the solution to ending violence
Kitab Unango
South Sudan’s Minister for Federal Affairs, Losuba Ludoro Wongo has mooted federalism as the solution to ending political and communal violence in the country.
He said incidents of communal violence caused by disputes over land, water and grazing resources have been witnessed since 2021 in the country.
“When the federal system is established, it will benefit everybody because the system is actually a mechanism to reduce conflict and to promote peace and stability,”Ludoro said in Juba on Thursday.
“Once power is devolved to the grassroots, it will reduce tension over resources, and this is when we talk about peace and stability in this country,” he added.
Ludoro made these remarks at the opening session of devolution and capacity building training to staff in the ministry of federal affair.
Parties to the 2018 revitalized peace deal agreed to adopt federal system of governance in order to mitigate conflicts. Conflict broke out in December 2013, following political disagreement between President Salva Kiir and his then deputy President Riek Machar.
Loduro said that the staff in the ministry of federal affairs needs capacity building to spread awareness on the importance of federal system of governance.
The Ministry of Federal Affairs was established in accordance with provision of revitalized peace agreement on the resolution of conflict in the South Sudan to coordinate and facilitate the enshrinement of federalism into the constitution to transaction the country to the federal governance.
The federal system of governance has faced resistance among some powerful elites, who argue it could divide communities along ethnic lines like the previous federal system adopted in the 1970’s better known as “Kokora”.
The federal system of governance was introduced in the 1970’s when political elites in the then southern Sudan region of Sudan requested for it.
The devolution and capacity building training was organized by the Center for Excellence with funding from African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) and UK Research and Innovation to capacitate federal affairs ministry staff.
