JONGLEI – In Uror county, cattle raids, child abductions, revenge killings, and competition over scarce resources continue to affect communities already struggling with food insecurity, water shortages, and limited opportunities for young people.
During a Citizens Talk forum facilitated by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), some 80 people from different walks of life came together to discuss their challenges and identify practical steps towards peace.
For many, conflict had devastating personal consequences.
Nyankung, a woman living with disability, is raising her four children alone after losing her husband to violence:
“I am calling for stronger protection, increased humanitarian assistance and more inclusive support to enable people with disabilities to live with dignity and provide for our families. I also urge the Government to ensure basic security so that we can work to address the challenges we face.”
Others, such as youth representative Nhial Pur, put forward concrete solutions, promoting the disarmament of civilians as means to reduce community violence. Particularly with the lack of opportunities for young people leading many to turn to substance abuse and violence, access to weapons further destabilizes an already unsafe environment.
“We request the state and national government to conduct peaceful disarmament so that young people will have no access to weapons. The easy availability of guns is one of the major causes of insecurity in our communities,” explained Nhial.
Women representatives at the forum raised a further concern: their exclusion from decision-making processes, particularly on issues that directly affect them.
They stressed that when women's voices go unheard, gender-specific challenges, including protection from sexual and gender-based violence, are less likely to receive the attention they need or lead to effective solutions, as Biling Ruot explained:
“Our voices go unheard. Women in our communities continue to suffer rape and other forms of sexual and gender-based violence, often in silence and constant fear. When we raise these concerns with the authorities, we are threatened and told to remain silent.”
Severe resource shortages, and the unavailability of healthcare further fuels tensions.
“We have long raised concerns about broken boreholes. Following the multiple conflicts earlier this year, only 94 of our 300 boreholes remain functional. With roads often impassable, many communities are left without access to clean water, further fueling tensions and the risk of violence,” said community leader Chot Baak.
Providing a platform for their concerns is the first step towards identifying solutions as UNMISS Civil Affairs Officer Berverly Rae Mac-Ocloo explained:
“Our aim was to bring you together to identify solutions to the challenges you face and foster stronger relationships among communities affected by conflict. As UNMISS, we remain committed to fulfilling our mandate to protect civilians and strengthen dialogue and trust between communities.”
As the discussions concluded, participants moved beyond identifying challenges to agree on practical next steps, signing a community action plan outlining priorities for follow-up by communities and relevant stakeholders.
The challenge now is to turn these commitments into action: improving security and basic services, expanding opportunities for young people, and ensuring women and people with disabilities have a meaningful voice in decisions affecting their communities.
By Achol Kur Marial
