Greater Bahr El Ghazal Regions Steps Up Efforts For Peace In Lakes State

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

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The move was made on Monday by MPs from Greater Bahr el Ghazal Region, who held three days of meetings in Wau on the issue of violence in Lakes State and presented their concerns to the Acting Governor of Western Bahr el Ghazal State, Zackaria Joseph Garang, before the team could visit Warrap and Northern Bahr el Ghazal States Governors for suggestions to bring to an end the recurrent revenge killings in Lakes State. 

Their effort was welcomed by Garang, who promised his government’s support on the issue. “We, as the government of WBGS, are very happy for the steps you have taken and will support them as your move istargeting peace in Lakes state,” said Garang.

Any move to steps up peace in Grater Bahr el Ghazal Region is a positive move as we want to remain a united state in south Sudan, he said

While presenting what they call “Greater Bahr el Ghazal Peace Initiative for Lakes State Program” to Western Bahr el Ghazal State Acting Governor, Hon Deng Makuac Kur from Warrap State called on the threegovernors for Warrap, WBG and NBG to support the initiative in order to bring an end to tribally motivated road attacks and revenge killing in Lakes State.

“We cannot fill freely if our people in Lakes State are continuing killing themselves including attacking people on the roads in a senseless meaning, we have to do what is possible to end such behaviours,” he said.

After the  three teams compete their presentation to the three governors, there will be a selected team to visit Lakes State’s community. The team will target local youth, civil society, religious, traditional leaders and chiefs, government officials and other concerned bodies to come up with a lasting solution to the barbaric killings in Lakes State, he said.

“We need the three state governors to right away send an organized force to Lakes state to quell the situation and hopeful protect the entire population there,” he said.

“We want to stop senseless killings in Lakes state and revenge killing. What is happening in Lakes State has a negative effect on the Greater Bahr el Ghazal Regions,” he said.

Hon. Garang Mawien Mawien, from Northern Bahr el Ghazal State said the Lakes State issue needs theregions to prioritize and calm down the situation in Rumbek.

“Let the Lakes State’s youth tell the people of Greater Bahr el Ghazal why they are killing themselves. If it is because of cattle, then let them tell us so that the three states can send all their animals to Lakes State,” he said.

“If it is an issue of girls, we can also do the same to them by sending them all the girls from the three states so that this senseless killings in Lakes State come to an end”, Mawien lamented.

Hon. Mawien lamented the tribal and revenges killings in Lakes State have negatively impacted on the government of South Sudan. 

Clan-based fighting within the Dinka tribe of Lakes State have been going on since the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in 2005, a vicious circle of revenge killings and cattle rustling. The killing on the roads revenge attacks even in towns like Rumbek have been worsening since  September this year in Lakes State,  with the whole region calling on president Kiir to relief the military Caretaker governor Matur Chuut Dhuol.