15 January 2015 - To promote peaceful co-existence amongst the internally displaced persons (IDPs) at the UNMISS protection site in Malakal, Upper Nile State, religious leaders at the site recently started a peace and reconciliation campaign.

Peter Riak Thon, chairman of the IDPs Peace and Reconciliation Commission, urged the communities to live together peacefully.

“Fighting in the protection site is unacceptable,” he said. “We appreciate the (UNMISS) State Coordinator’s patience in the face of difficulties and insecurity caused by the IDPs themselves.”

Mr. Thon called upon different tribes in the protection site to embrace forgiveness and accept each other as the people of one country.

Daniel Pal Deng, the head teacher of a school supported by non-governmental organization INTERSOS, called on religious leaders to let their worship places be used as learning spaces for children in the protection site.

“I encourage you to allow your worship places to be used as schools because there are no spaces for schools,” he said.

Mr. Deng also encouraged the religious leaders to preach peace in their worship places to foster love and unity amongst the tribes.

UNMISS State Coordinator Deborah Schein also urged the IDPs to embrace peace, unity and love.

Encouraging the adults and parents to visualize the future, Ms. Schein said she hoped that 2015 would be a year that would witness the return of the IDPs to Malakal town and their homes.

The children and women presented drama and music in all languages been spoken by the various tribes in the protection site.