11 April 2013 – Legislators from the states of Unity, Warrap and Lakes participated today in a teleconference and discussed possible ways of ending cattle raids that often result in the deaths of innocent civilians.

The members of legislative assemblies located in the so-called tri-state area supported a proposal to hold a peace conference that would bring together all communities suspected of having rustled cattle in the past across the borders of Unity, Warrap and Lakes.

"We are the people's representatives and ... voices," said Peter Dak Kaan, a Unity State legislator from Mayom County that borders Warrap State. "If our people are killing (each other), we cannot keep quiet. We must stop this."

The Lakes State lawmaker Isaac Makur Buoc urged his counterparts in Warrap and Unity states to follow the example of his legislative assembly, which passed a bill yesterday requiring residents of Lakes State to register all firearms in their possession.

The legislation also confers more powers on state and county authorities to disarm anyone who does not comply with the bill or has engaged in cattle raids and other violent crime.

"To end this cattle rustling, we need to put some laws in place," said Mr. Buoc. "I am appealing to you ... to urgently create laws that will forbid the civilian population from carrying arms... as we did here in Lakes State."

The lawmakers called for the immediate deployment of police forces along state borders and the creation of a border court.

The teleconference was facilitated by UNMISS in the three states as part of the Mission's mandate to support peace building tasks throughout the country.

At a press conference in Juba on 8 April, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General Hilde F. Johnson said that South Sudan still faced major security challenges, especially in Jonglei State and the tri-state area.

"The security situation in these areas remains a source of deep concern for UNMISS and for the international community," said Ms. Johnson.