13 July 2013 - Aiming to address the long-standing border dispute between Warrap and Northern Bahr El-Ghazal, representatives from both states participated in a two-day peace conference which ended in Warrap State today.

Members of both state and national assemblies, county commissioners, traditional chiefs, religious leaders and community representatives attended the conference, which was held at the Gogrial West County Headquarters.

Participants at the conference, which followed similar events in July 2012 and May 2013, discussed ways to mitigate violence related to cattle theft, fishing rights and land disputes.

Before the meeting, representatives from Aweil East and Aweil South in Northern Bahr El-Ghazal, and Twic and Gogrial West counties in Warrap, drafted recommendations to stop the recurring challenges along their common borders.

According to UNMISS Civil Affairs officials in Warrap State, discussions on the recommendations that were presented emphasized the need for practical solutions and implementation of those solutions.

The meeting agreed on 13 resolutions which included the formation of a committee to arbitrate issues related to land, fishing rights and cattle theft, and advise the counties on peaceful solutions. Other recommendations included forming joint special courts to settle any matters that remained unresolved by the committees and establishing police posts in areas prone to disputes.

Participants agreed that the four county commissioners would monitor and implement the resolutions.

"You have made great progress as shown by the vibrant discussions and the decisions reached," said UNMISS Warrap State Coordinator Abraham Onifade. "(These are) your resolutions. It is your duty to implement the decisions. You can count on UNMISS and partners to support you ... including in the monitoring of the implementation."