Resolutions of Lou Nuer Community

Introduction

The Lou Community in Juba held an emergency meeting on Saturday 23rd August2009, convened by the leadership of the Lou Community Council to deliberate on urgent issues affecting the peace and security of the people in the three Counties of Akobo, Nyirol and Uror. The meeting was chaired by Hon. Gabriel Yoal Dok, Chairman of Lou Community Council.

The agenda comprised the following:

Briefing by members of GOSS team that visited Akobo after the massacre of Mareng by the Murle of Pibor County.
Briefing by members of the Lou-Murle Cessation of hostilities Committee
Relations with neighbouring Dinka of Duk County
The humanitarian situation in the area as a result of violent community conflicts and failure of rains.

Development Issues
Briefing on the demarcation of electoral constituencies by the National Election Commission

The meeting which was attended by more than 200 people listened to the briefings and deliberated extensively on the same and passed the following resolutions and recommendations.

1. On Unity of the Lou people

The meeting noted with concern that there were forces outside the community working to cause divisions within the Lou community to advance conspiratorial agendas against the Lou.

The meeting resolved that Lou should be watchful and fight all attempts for division. Lou must therefore maintain their unity to be able to solve the current serious problems of insecurity and severe food shortages in the area.

The meeting called for regular consultative meetings of the community to build consensus on issues affecting the community particularly issues of peace and security.

Lou should take responsibility for their security as their primary duty and not depend wholly on government protection which has so far failed after disarming the community.

2. On Security in Lou Area

The Meeting expressed great disappointment of the failure of the State to maintain law and order in the state now manifested in the massacres that had occurred in the state since the beginning of this year. The Meeting therefore recommended the following:

The meeting noted that the State of Jonglei has failed to provide security for the people of the state and their property through law enforcement.
GOSS to comprehensive effect disarmament in the State beginning with the communities who had never been effectively disarmed before.
State to raise the number of police in the counties and establish police posts along common community borders.

There is no presence of the Judiciary in the three Lou counties. The meeting therefore urges the President of the Southern Sudan Supreme Court to transfer Judges to the Lou counties.

3. On Lou- Murle Relations

The Meeting resolved to:

condemn in the strongest terms the massacre committed by the armed Murle militia at Mareng temporary fishing camp against innocent Lou citizens most of whom were women and children who were at the location for the purpose of fishing compelled by the severe food shortages in Akobo after the closure of the Sobat River corridor.

mandate the Lou peace committee to continue dialogue with the representatives of the Murle Community with the view to reaching agreement for reconciliation and peaceful coexistence between the two neighbouring communities in spite of the tragic events that had taken place.

appreciate the role of the Southern Sudan Peace Commission in facilitating and encouraging representatives of the two communities to work together for peace and reconciliation between their communities and further appeal to the Commission to support peace initiatives now being planned.
call upon the State and County authorities to take measures in support of peace and security in the State.

4. On Relations with Jikany of Luakpiny and Ulang Counties

The meeting resolved to:

deplore the attacks of June 2009 on WFP food barges, the SPLA and innocent civilians in which many lives were lost and property destroyed.
mandate and urge the Lou- Jikany committee of intellectuals and political leaders to actively engage in peace-building and reconciliation between the two communities.

urge the Government of Southern Sudan, Jonglei State Government and Upper Nile State Government to open the Sobat River corridor by providing a river patrol force to ensure that barges and boats plying the River are not attacked.

call upon the county authorities of the three counties to organize regular meetings of chiefs and traditional leaders for resolution of any arising problems among their communities.
Call for the implementation of the Ulang Conference resolutions.

5. On Relations with People of Duk County

The Meeting resolved to:

call upon the local authorities of Duk County to ensure that attacks on Lou citizens when travelling between Bor and Lou counties is stopped and free movement of people guaranteed.
urge for the implementation of the resolutions of the last conference in Bor.
Call upon state authorities to resolve problems of insecurity in the area.

6. On Lou- Gaawar Relations

The Meeting expressed great satisfaction with the excellent relations between Lou and Gaawar community and appreciated the positive role played by the County Commissioners of Ayod, Uror and Nyirol in consolidating peaceful coexistence between the two communities.

7. On Social Services and Infrastructure
The Meeting resolved to:

Appeal to GOSS and the State authorities to construct the following security roads in the state:

a) Ayod – Waat – Akobo –Pibor road

b) Waat – Langken – Malakal road

c) Bor – Pibor – Pochalla – Akobo Road

call upon Jonglei State authorities to restore Uror Hospital which had been shifted unjustifiably to Bor to its original designated site at Uror.
express concern about the unexplained decision of GOSS Ministry of Labour, Public Service and Human Resources Development to change the location of the Institute of Public Administration from Akobo which was the first designated location in favour of Juba in Central Equatoria . This obviously amounts to a concentration of development institutions in specific areas.
deplore the very low level of health and educational services in all Lou Counties , a situation which does not augur well for the future of the area.
Call upon GOSS Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry to support measures to promote food security in the area to avoid dependence on humanitarian hand-outs.

8. On the Humanitarian Situation

The meeting noted the desperate humanitarian situation in the area caused by insecurity and lack of rains that has adversely affected the agricultural season and resolved the following:

Appreciate the humanitarian intervention of UN/WFP and other Un Agencies in providing emergency food and other supplies to Akobo County to address the serious humanitarian there and urges other humanitarian agencies to play similar role to alleviate the suffering.
Further appreciate the direct concern shown by the UN Secretary- General and the Security Council soon after the massacres of innocent and hungry women and children at Mareng and urge the UN system to support youth empowerment projects as a way of promoting peace among conflicting communities.
Urge UN Agencies to support common services for the conflicting communities such as micro finance facilities, schools, water and health services, peace activities etc.
Recommends the establishment of FM studios for dissemination of peace awareness ideas in local languages in Akobo, Pibor and Waat.

9. Development Support to the Lou Counties

The Meeting expressed great concern about the gross neglect of Lou area in development and services and recommended the following:

Urge GOSS/State to provide funding for roads construction and other services in Lou area and to support youth projects to solve the problems of youth unemployment and idleness.
Establishment of a technical team that can assist the Commissioners in developing strategic plans for the counties.
Assist Counties in mobilizing the youth for peace and development.

10. On General Elections

The meeting appreciated the briefing on the demarcation of electoral constituencies for Jonglei State made by the National Elections Commission (NEC) and took note of the share of Lou Area in the different legislative bodies. The meeting took the position that Pochalla has always been together with Pibor in all previous elections in the Sudan. Pochalla County should therefore continue to be with Pibor County as one constituency in the National Assembly elections.

(Note: This document is issued by the Lou Peace Council. The list of attendance is attached)
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