INTERCEDE on 17th - 19th April 2023, organized a Community Peace and Reconciliation Dialogues between the Cie-Bool and Cie-Biliew sections of Akobo County. The conflicting communities have been engaged in prolonged revenge conflict, viciously recycling and protracting for over 10 years. The cie-Biliew section has been blocked from accessing services from Akobo Town for about 8 years by Cie-Bool. The 3days peace dialogue brought 68 prominent community elders, paramount chiefs, chiefs, youth leaders, and women leaders. And the local authority. The dialogue was termed a glorious call from God, for these communities to reconcile, heal and forgive each other. The conflicting communities appealed to the donor funding this peace initiative and INTERCEDE to facilitate conflicting Youth Interaction Space (YIS). The communities also committed to organizing Peace Ceremony Day which other communities’ chiefs, elders, and local authorities will witness.
Reconciliation And Peace Forum For Anyuak of Alali, Nuer Akobo-Tergol – Akobo of Ethiopia And Akobo South Sudan (20th -22nd April 2023)
Anyuak in Alali Payam and Lou Nuer in Akobo have experienced long griefs proportionally over land disputes, ownership, and rights complicated by the 2013 South Sudan conflict, Nyuak has become more isolated despite Alali Payam being administratively under Akobo county, they do not come to Akobo town. Other issues surrounded the Nuer of Tiergol-Akobo Ethiopia and Akobo South Sudan. The Tiergol is predominantly inhabited by Jikany Nuer who is Ethiopian citizens but shares decedents, language, norms, and culture with the Nuer in Nasir County and Akobo of South Sudan. The two-Akobo have been faced with cross-border crimes, trade, and migration issues. INTEREDE provided a reconciliation and peace forum for these three groups to discuss border crimes, trade, and human passage or migration issues. 55 participants from Tiergol-Akobo Ethiopia, Alali, and Akobo South Sudan participated in a 3-day peace and reconciliation forum. The participants resolved to engage both Akobo Wereda and Akobo County authorities to establish border crime monitors, and migration posts along the Pibor - Sobat rivers and strengthen bilateral relations between the two sisterly districts for effective trade, cooperation, and resource sharing The forum resolved to form joint border committee and exchange training and peace initiatives.
Capacity Training For Youth, Women, Local Authority And Customary Justice And Courts (24th -26th April 2023)
As part of inclusive conflict early warning, conflict prevention and mitigation, capacity training for youth, women, customary courts, justice, and the local authority was conducted in Akobo town bringing leaders from various groups for 2 days. The training covered understanding the concepts of conflict, early warning, early response, and traditional conflict early warning indicators in contrast with contemporary and modern early warning indicators and response mechanisms. The capacity training was attended by 45 participants 15 from Akobo-Tergol and 30 participants from Akobo South Sudan. The objective of the training was to enhance understanding, knowledge, and local skills in conflict management, prevention, and early warning.
