South Sudan Peace and Reconciliation Commission (SSPRC) has completed the training and reconstitution of the Nyirol County Peace Response Mechanism (CPRM) which took place between September 6 and 8 2022 at the Nyirol County headquarters in Lanken. A total of 15 members of the Nyirol County CPRM have been trained on effective ways of conflict early warning data collection, analysis, and sharing within the Conflict Early Warning and Early Response Unit (CEWERU) structure of the South Sudan Peace and Reconciliation Commission. The committee members were also trained on the use of the new mobile application for conflict early warning reporting. They are already using the application for sending early warning reports.
The CPRM reconstituted consists of 15 members including 2 women and 2 persons with disabilities, representing concerned conflict early warning and response and peacebuilding institutions including RRC, police, military, national security, prisons, wildlife, women groups, youth groups, CSOs, CBOs, faith-based groups, and national non-governmental organizations.
This is the 19th in a series of training and reconstitutions of County Peace Response Mechanisms for CEWERU following the same activities conducted in eight counties of Eastern Equatoria state, five counties of Lakes state and five counties of Jonglei state. The participants completed four days training in technical areas for strengthening the capacity of the County Peace Response Mechanism through empowerment and capacity building in conflict early warning and response.
Participants also received practical skills in using the innovation on conflict early warning to report and respond to conflict incidences. This will provide a robust means for the committee members to address incidents of conflict before they escalate into full violence.
In total, 380 participants have received training as members of the CEWERU CPRM for the 19 counties completed including 70 women and 30 persons living with disabilities.
Funded by Sweden through the Peace and Community Cohesion Project (PaCC), CEWERU works to arrest conflicts at all levels in South Sudan before they flare into violence. The unit works on conflict early warning under the mandate of the peace commission.
The Reconstituted CPRM Brings Hopes for A Brighter Future Ahead
Speaking at the closing of the training, the Nyirol County executive director Hon. Thomas Simol Luol Puot appreciated UNDP for its kind support for the Peace Commission to be able to conduct this important training, noting the importance of the CEWERU structure in creating synergies for peacebuilding and conflict mitigation:
“CEWERU is an important entity that provides a pivot that creates synergy between the different security and peacebuilding structures of government and civil society necessary for the development of our county, state, and country. It provides the ideal working relationship necessary for dealing with conflicts at all levels”.
The women representative of Nyirol County women's group Nyamal Reath Lam noted the importance of peace in creating other virtues such as the rights of women to thrive:
“While we advocate for the rights of women, while we want her voice to be heard, while we are campaigning for her equal participation in our communities, we must also acknowledge the importance of peace in realizing all these. The peace commission and its partner UNDP are helping us to realize this through the CPRM training and reconstitution because it will give us the chance to have our voices heard”.
Mary Nyamal, Nyirol County Women Representative
Working Together for Peace
Hon. Thomas stressed the importance of “CEWRU” in bringing together different actors across diverse intuitions to bring peace and stability to South Sudan”. He commended the role that different organizations, governments, and non-governmental have played in building peace in the volatile Jonglei region devasted by many years of communal conflicts related to cattle raiding, child abductions, and revenge killings.
Hon. Thomas Simon Lual Puot, Nyirol County Executive Director
“Peace partners including Peace Canal, UNMISS, and UNDP have played a crucial role in promoting inter-communal peace in our region. In the past months we have been holding peace conferences aimed at reconciling feuding communities of Lou Nuer, Gawaar Nuer, Dinka, and the Murle of the Greater Pibor Administrative Area, one is ongoing in Mogok Payam of Ayod. The situation is relatively calm now thanks to the collective efforts of these institutions that have been working together with the government”.
“In this regard, we must seek ways to creatively expand the job market and increase access to capital for released graduates to become entrepreneurs. This will not only cushion them from the economic shock after incarceration but also minimize the anxiety associated with not being able to provide for themselves and their families.”
Hon. Betty, the deputy chairperson for the South Sudan Peace and Reconciliation Commission who was present at the training and reconstitution of the Nyirol CPRM stated the importance of inclusion of marginalized groups in peacebuilding stressing that “in order to have a functional CEWERU, it is crucial that matters of non-inclusion are dealt with and all sections or groups of society are fully involved and included in every peacebuilding activity being undertaken”.
Hon. Betty Oboy, SSPRC deputy Chairperson stressed a point during the Nyirol CPRM Training and Reconstitution
She continues to stress the importance of including women and persons living with various disabilities in all structures because “for quite a long time, representation of women, youth, and people living with disabilities has been inadequate. As this can be seen in today’s gathering. The 35% threshold for women's participation has not been met. However, this has to improve in future activities”.
