Yei-The Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) organized a three-day civil-military dialogue in Yei River County, Central Equatoria State, in collaboration with the RSRTF coalition and local government authorities.
The event brought together 100 key stakeholders—including community leaders, civil society representatives, local government officials, and military commanders—from all areas (Yei Town, Lasu, Otugu, and Tore) and was facilitated by the RT. REVs. Levi Marandulu Yepete and Alex Lodiong Sakor, with a moderation from the Consortium Partners.
Yei River County has been experiencing conflicts manifested in various incidents, including arbitrary arrests, harassment of civilians, looting of property, and violence against women, which have seriously undermined peace, security, and community trust.
On his remark, William Lukudu, Program Manager CEPO, said Everyone needs peace starting from self, family, and community, he indicated that the decisions and recommendations of the civil-military dialogue will be implemented. He appreciates the commissioner for fully attending the dialogue.
Previous decisions and recommendations had not been implemented, but this dialogue would review those that had not been implemented. He added, “This is an opportunity for participants to express their views on amending some provisions of previous decisions. Everyone in the room wants peace. We don’t want peace in words, but in deeds.”
The Catholic Bishop of Yei River County, Alex Lodong Sakor, stated that the dialogue between the military and citizens is not easy, but rather a serious dialogue. He offered his condolences to the South Sudan Defense Forces (SSDF) for the recent attack on army positions in Yei, emphasizing the trust between the military and citizens. He added that the Yei market is functioning well, which is why we need trust between the military and citizens.
Emmanuel Taban, Commissioner of Yei River County, said the relationship between citizens and soldiers is one of love. Soldiers were citizens before becoming soldiers. One day, this soldier will return as a citizen after completing their military service. He called on soldiers and citizens to respect each other and urged them to build respect and good relationships. “We, as Christians and Muslims, are bound by strong family ties.”he added
He said that the biggest problem in South Sudan is tribalism, calling for combating tribalism in state institutions. This tribalism is detrimental to society.
On his part, the Chairman of the Peace Committee in Yei River County, Joseph Prabun Musa, said the dialogue came at the right time to restore the Yei River to its natural state. the goal of the meeting with the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization was to find solutions to the challenges facing Yei River County. He continued, “Yei was better in the past than it is now, thanks to the love that prevailed among the people.”
He revealed that some areas have become completely deserted. Most of Yei’s residents have left the area due to insecurity, and some families have children out of school. Therefore, we need solutions for peace in Yei River.” These issues hinder ongoing development efforts and undermine the social fabric in the area, making reconciliation and peacebuilding difficult. To address these challenges, initiatives have been launched that focus on promoting dialogue, community engagement, and army reform. These efforts have been prioritized.
The dialogue came with 28 CONSOLIDATED RESOLUTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS.