Fresh moves are underway to revive the stalled integration of thousands of former rebel fighters into South Sudan’s regular military forces in a bid to transform the troubled town of Yambio from a culture of war to one of peace.

About 4000 former members of the South Sudan National Liberation Movement (SSNLM), the former so-called Arrow Boys or South Sudan People’s Patriotic Front (SSPPF), and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army – In Opposition, surrendered more than a year ago following the Government’s promise to reintegrate them into the ranks of regular forces.

Since then the process has stalled, leaving the former fighters stranded in an area outside the town of Yambio, in the Western Equatorias region, without pay or access to an adequate supply of food.

The delayed reintegration is considered a ticking time bomb in a region already suffering from a volatile security situation.

“The Government is struggling. We do not have money to feed them,” says the local Minister of Education, Pia Philip Michael. “There are some fighters who do not want to go back into the military. They want to be integrated into civilian life. We need to support them, to give them counselling and training so they can become part of society again.”

The Governor, Daniel Badagbu, said an agreement had been reached with the Government to expedite the reintegration process with team of representatives from the army, National Security Service, and Ministry of the Interior arriving in Yambio this week.

He said there was a need for more vocational training in areas such as carpentry and farming to help the former soldiers take control of their lives and provide for their families.

“The focus needs to be on economic development and stablisation projects.  People need jobs and businesses so that war is not an option,” said Daniel Badagbu. “We need to build the resilience in them and empower them to live productive and normal lives.”

On a visit to Yambio yesterday, the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Moustapha Soumare, said that the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) was committed to working in partnership with local authorities and development partners to provide the opportunities needed to build durable peace and encourage economic growth.

While the security situation in Yambio remained a concern, he is inspired by the “deep commitment” from local authorities and the community to achieving sustainable peace.

“Peace is powerful when it is led at the local level,” said Moustapha Soumare.

Local leaders describe the security situation as one of “relative” peace.

However, concerns remain about continuing criminal activity as well as the plight of thousands of internally displaced people, including those sheltering at the Catholic Church in Rimenze. They are experiencing ongoing harassment, threats and attacks by armed groups and are suffering from a lack of access to adequate shelter, food and water.

UNMISS peacekeepers patrol the area and are taking a proactive and robust approach by staying overnight at the site. The deployment of the Regional Protection Force in the capital, Juba - mandated by the United Nations Security Council - will also enable UNMISS to expand its existing operations to areas, such as Yambio, to deter violence and support local efforts towards building durable peace.

“We are trying to transform Gbudwe State from a culture of war to a culture of peace,” says the Governor.  “We believe that what we are doing here will send a message to the world that South Sudan is not all the way people think. There are states where we have peace with relative calm and, to do this, we the people of South Sudan must be the drivers of this change.”