Culture week in Wau ends with calls for peaceful co-existence

23 Apr 2013

Culture week in Wau ends with calls for peaceful co-existence

22 April 2013 - A week of music, dance and drama brought together the population of Western Bahr El-Ghazal in an unprecedented way since the violent disturbances that rocked the state last December, a state government minister said today during the closing ceremony of a cultural festival in Wau.

"It has brought all the citizens together to learn about their cultures and ... the system of commonality and peaceful co-existence," said Derik Uya Alfred, the State Minister of Information, Communication and Culture.

His ministry organized the event, with support from UNMISS, the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the telecommunications company Zain.

Following the violence that caused thousands to flee their homes and seek shelter inside the UNMISS compound in Wau, the government and other partners have been making efforts through different initiatives to encourage better relations among the state's various communities.

The cultural week also featured public lectures and exhibitions of handicrafts.
"This event has shown (another area in which we should focus) to foster peaceful co-existence," said State Governor Riziq Zakaria Hassan, adding that violent tendencies would decline with time.