UNMISS Civil Affairs Division in collaboration with VISTAS (Services Delivery) organized two day workshop for Traditional leaders in Bentiu on conflict transformation and reconciliation to empower them with skills in aiding reconciliation in their communities.

The UNMISS Head of field office in Bentiu, Hiroko Harahara, told the chiefs that UNMISS is ready to support your efforts.

“You have a lot to do, a lot to work on in the areas of reconciliation, forgiveness and peace building. What I am doing is complimenting your work, what UNMISS is doing including keeping peace and security in the POCs and meeting people to people is complimenting your work. Peace building and reconciliation is at your hands and this workshop is going to help you to achieve that.” she said.

The Head of Civil Affairs Division in Bentiu, Victor Fasama, told the chiefs, “our two days together in discussion and interaction, things are becoming better and this is good for all of us, that was the idea to bring you here to reduce the tension and improve collaboration and cooperation.”

He stressed, “As you all know, we have a central government in Juba now, the government will roll to the state very soon and that means that people from the POC sites will be preparing to go back to their homes and the people in the town will also be preparing to receive their brothers and sisters … It’s very good point that you decided to reconcile and to forgive each other about the things that happened in the past, we will continue to work with you for reconciliation initiative.”

The chief of the PoC sites, John Manyrop Nhial, said, “What is good for us is to forgive and forget what happened in our country and this workshop will improve our togetherness… what we need now is that we can there is a need for us to meet frequently so that we could not forget what we learn here.”

William Matuek Gai, representative of Rubkona Court, appreciated the role being play by the UNMISS CAD to bring together all the chiefs to discuss the issues of peace and reconciliation.

The two-day forum brought together more than 25 traditional leaders from Bentiu town, Rubkona town and the UN Protection of Civilian site.