The Whitaker Peace and Development initiative convened a peace community dialogue to end recurring violence between the agrarian community in Mundri West County and the cattle keeping community of Tali in Terekeka County.
“If there is any conflict we have to resolve it peacefully, we have to bring peace to avoid people dying. We want people to stay in peace without peace there is no development,” Mande Daniel, the program coordinator for Whitaker Peace and Development Initiative in Mundri West County said on Friday.
The peace dialogue came in the aftermath of growing mistrust between farming and pastoral communities which often lead to clashes and displacements.
Bush Buse, program coordinator Whitaker Peace and Development Initiative in Central Equatoria State said the tension between cattle keepers and farmers needs to be resolved urgently to allow agrarian communities plant food during the ongoing rainy season.
“We have different activities in our communities some cultivate and others keep cattle. We are for peaceful coexistence, we have to resolve tension so that there is no interference in farm land,” he said.
Steven Olympio, the representative for the Ministry of PeaceBuilding in Central Equatoria State, said they are encouraging people to coexist peacefully, adding that the government is working for peace across the state.
“As the government we do not encourage war, we want to encourage peace because peace is important and good for all of us, no one can stay alone. If we embrace peace we will have development,” Olympio said.
