Lakes governor, entourage participate in Yirol West peace initiative

By Manyang Mayom

September 25, 2009 (YIROL) – Two counties of Lakes state took part in a community peace initiative attended by Governor Lt-Gen. Daniel Awet Akot. The visit aimed to ease inter-clan violence within the two counties but was seen by some observers as more of a political rally than a peace effort.

Communities in Yirol East (Nyang) County and Yirol West County were at odds since inter-clan fighting erupted earlier this year; both counties fall under the administration of Lakes state government. Over 200 people are estimated to have been killed in the counties since the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in 2005.

The peace forum will continue for three days. Chiefs from both counties have been brought together to express their views in front of each other, as well as the governor and political leaders, who are expected to later recommend and endorse the recommendations of chiefs.

Governor Awet arrived on Wednesday to Yirol West County, a distance of 75 miles away from Lakes state’s capital at Rumbek, with an entourage of Southern politicians comprised of representatives of UDF, UDSF, USAP, ANC and NCP.

The governor appeared in the county with his Peace and Reconciliation Advisor, Andrea Mabor Biar, as well as the SPLM State Secretariat’s Assistant Secretary for Political Affairs, Malou Moses Majok. However, another SPLM official in the Secretariat alleged that Majok had not in fact been invited to attend the forum, insisting that Governor Awet did not inform the SPLM Secretariat of the meeting.

On Thursday, this correspondent was prevented from covering the conference because a security detail detained him as he made his way to the event. He was guarded by soldiers all day at a compound formerly used by Norwegian People’s Aid.

Reached by phone, Yirol West County Commissioner Agok Manyiel Dhieu dismissed rumours that politically themed T-shirts were distributed at the rally. He said that there was only the leader of USAP who was wearing his party T-shirt, whereas no one of the public was doing so.

In a written statement, the SPLM official Philip Marol Mading said, “So many people have been asking me in my capacity as SPLM chairman for elections campaign strategy as to why I could not join the political parties’ peace initiative led by the State SPLM Chairman. My simple answer to each and every one who asked me was ‘I have not been invited.’”

Citing local sources, he said further that the governor had invited several non-SPLM political leaders in a secret meeting held at Palm Tree Hotel in Rumbek on September 21, 2009. These included NCP Chairman Mayor Aloung, NCP State Secretary Thomas Acingoth Bai, and USAF1 Chairman Kulang Mabor Deng.

Suggesting that the governor’s mission was perhaps actually an election campaign trip disguised as a peace conference, he added “Presumably, if the mission to Yirol was under the pretext of peace, some crucial questions need to be asked, why the SPLM as a ruling political party was not involved in such peace process.”

By contrast, Commissioner Agok described the conference more positively, saying that “We are here today in Yirol West County for community grievances, so that we can get a solution to solve those differences within the community and not to host other South Sudanese political rallies launching in the county.”

(ST)