WARRAP - To address recurrent security concerns in the Greater Tonj area, the stabilization pillar under the United Nations Multi-Partner Trust Fund, co-led by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), inducted community leaders, women, and cattle camp youth from various committees on their respective roles and responsibilities towards attaining sustainable peace.

The three-day training, aimed at reducing conflict in Tonj’s three counties—North, South, and East—brought together 110 participants, grouped into the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC), the Crime Prevention Committee (CPC), and the Community Oversight Committee (COC), alongside South Sudanese police personnel and government officials.

Trainees were equipped with necessary knowledge and skills to address community violence arising from land disputes, cattle raids, competition over scarce water points, and violence against women and girls, among other key issues.

Heated debates were part of the sessions, especially when it came to discussions on holding perpetrators accountable and applying the law equally to everybody.

“As a member of the Community Oversight Committee, we will not condone arbitrary and selective detention of suspects. Accountability should apply to everyone irrespective of social or political status. No one should be above the law,” argued Awut Aduot Ayieny, a women’s leader from Tonj North.

Insufficient justice and rule of law infrastructure remains another challenge for citizens wanting to report crimes.

“We lack both police stations and prisons. People are forced to travel long distances to report incidents, often on foot, which sometimes makes them hesitant at times to file reports, but I am optimistic that these committees, once fully engaged, will ease reporting channels,” said Marco Manyang, a cattle camp leader from Tonj South.

Chair of the Conflict Resolutions Commission, Daniel Makol Dhal, says he believes the state government will offer support to these committees and Trust Fund partners, while urging everyone to share in the fight against lawlessness in residential areas and beyond.

“The elderly, young women and men, businesspeople—everybody must be responsible for improving security as well as speaking up and reporting unlawful activities to authorities. Empowering citizens, both uniformed and civilians alike, is key to upholding human rights and ensuring all segments of society contribute to an effective community-led mechanism for crime prevention and security,” he asserted.

According to the representative of the Reconciliation, Stabilization and Resilience Trust Fund or RSRTF, Felix Cassim, UNDP Security Sector Specialist, the overall objective of this induction is to enhance the capacity of committee members with the required skills on community-oriented security action plans, non-violence conflict prevention, early warning, and reporting mechanisms.

“With the knowledge gained here, it is incumbent upon all of us to work for the common good in order to achieve sustainable peace and stability in the Greater Tonj. Reduction of violence through dialogues and legal accountability processes will help us meet our social and economic needs in our society,” he stressed.

Consortium partners for this multisectoral project in Warrap include the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the World Food Programme (WFP), The Organization for Children Harmony (TOCH), the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA), and the Peace Canal.