Veteran politicians urge peace and reconciliation between Ngok and Twic Dinka

JUBA – Two South Sudanese veterans, Bona Malual and Francis Mading, have issued urgent calls for peace and reconciliation between the Twic and Ngok Dinka communities following recent attacks in Abyei that claimed at least 52 lives, including UN peacekeepers.

Malual, a respected elder from the Twic community, expressed deep sadness in a statement dated January 30^th, 2024, and urged the Twic Mayardit community to disengage and embrace dialogue to resolve their grievances.

He emphasized the importance of adhering to President Kiir’s recent orders aimed at ending the conflict.

“This is an appeal to you, the Twic Mayardit Community, to please disengage and put an end to any further form of violence, and to wait for how the government of the Republic of South Sudan will act, especially in implementing the recent Republican Orders of the President of the Republic of South Sudan of 16 January 2024 on the conflict between Twic and Ngok Dinka,” he said.

Meanwhile Mading, an academic and prominent Abyei politician, echoed Malual’s sentiments in a statement also dated January 30^th.

He highlighted the immense suffering caused by the conflict, lamenting the loss of life, destruction of homes and villages, and shattering of centuries-old ties between the communities.

“As leaders and elders,” Mading empathized, “it is incumbent upon all of us to support President Salva Kiir Mayardit’s call for an immediate cessation of hostilities and an end to any discussion of the border dispute until the issue of the final status of Abyei between Sudan and South Sudan is resolved.”

Mading, a former UN diplomat, drew attention to the crucial role of elders in African cultures and their responsibility to quell violence without bias.

He underscored the importance of peaceful dialogue and amicable resolution, stating that “Striving for peace and reconciliation is not a mark of weakness; it is leadership responsibility for the good of the communities.”

Mading urged President Kiir to expedite the implementation of his ceasefire order and address not only the Ngok-Twic conflict but also the escalating inter-communal violence across the nation.

He warned that these hostilities impede progress towards lasting peace, national unity, and nation-building.

“We implore our government and international partners, the United Nations and friendly countries, to make peace attractive to our young people by supporting post-conflict programs for youth employment and the empowerment of women in integrated rural development,” he said.

“We must pursue the original vision of the SPLM [Sudan People’s Liberation Movement] to use oil revenues to fuel the engine of agriculture, to take towns to the countryside and to build an expansive network of roads,” he added.

Mading concluded by invoking the original vision of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) and urging the nation to utilize oil revenue for agricultural development, rural infrastructure, and bridging the urban-rural divide.

He challenged the people to “turn crises into opportunities” and rebuild their communities towards a brighter future.