As part of a continuing effort to tackle unrest in Jonglei State, the South Sudanese Presidential Committee for Peace, Reconciliation and Tolerance in Jonglei organized a peace planning workshop in the capital Bor from 3 to 5 April.

The event was attended by members of the national and state governments, Sudan Council of Churches, civil society and UNMISS.

To obtain a view of how the Jonglei peace process was proceeding, UNMISS Public Information Office spoke with Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General (DSRSG) Raisedon Zenenga, one of the workshop participants.

UNMISS PIO: How are you finding the workshop?

DSRSG Zenenga: It is going very well and passing on the right messages. We believe that all participants are sincerely committed to the peace and reconciliation process. They have noted that the process is converging with (civilian) disarmament, which started last month. This is important, as the two are related to each other.

Both the peace process and disarmament are part of a comprehensive approach to stabilization in Jonglei State, which the government is committed to pursuing.

What are UNMISS' short and long-term strategies in assisting the South Sudanese government to end the cycle of violence in Jonglei?

We have been in discussions with the government since January on approaches to stabilize the situation in Jonglei. The SRSG (Special Representative of the Secretary-General Hilde F. Johnson) has consistently stressed that what is required is a comprehensive approach, which involves confidence building, providing security for communities, and deploying forces in buffer-zones as well as within communities.

Confidence building measures include the return of abducted women and children, followed by a national level dialogue led by a peace committee established by the president. It is also important to ensure a peace dividend -- that communities are assisted in developing infrastructure and alternative livelihoods. This will guarantee a long-term solution and address root-causes, including poverty.

As the (Jonglei) governor (Kuol Manyang Juuk) rightly pointed out, the economic situation, poverty and lack of development are major factors driving inter-communal conflict in Jonglei.

What will UNMISS contribute to this approach?

We will provide logistical support, from transporting the committee that has been formed to conduct the peace process at the grass-roots level to organizing workshops and meetings within communities.

We will participate in substantive discussions and offer ideas for working group meetings. We have also been providing logistical support for sensitization of the parallel civilian disarmament process. And we are prepared to assist with destruction of collected weapons, if that is the government's wish, or help transport them and store them in a safe and secure place.

How is civilian disarmament in the state going?

So far, it is been largely peaceful and gone relatively well. A significant number of weapons were collected in Bor and other areas, but we believe there are still many more to be collected.
We are pleased with the government's announcement that the disarmament is a long-term rather than quick process. So they will stay on the ground until all weapons have been collected, which is indeed good.

Some isolated incidents of indiscipline and human rights violations have been reported to us. We will look into these and bring them to the attention of the South Sudanese government. Our human rights colleagues will also follow up any incidents associated with the exercise.

Do you have a message for the people of Jonglei?

We at UNMISS are very pleased that the peace process has finally resumed. We ask all Jonglei communities to sincerely commit themselves in working together to ensure it succeeds and that lasting solutions are found to challenges they have been facing.

It will be very difficult to bring development to Jonglei as long as people remain trapped in this vicious cycle of violence. It is important that they break this cycle and bring stabilization so that development can follow.