Over 100 local chiefs hold border conference in Unity state

By Bonifacio Taban Kuich

November 17, 2011 (BENTIU) – Unity state hosted a three day conference last week to build consensus among the state’s counties on how migration into South Sudan from groups north of the new international border will occur this year.

South Sudan became independent in July, meaning that nomadic groups in north Sudan will have to cross the contested and poorly demarcated border, if they are to follow their traditional migration routes looking for pasture for their cattle.

The peaceful cross-border coexistence meeting ran from Wednesday to Friday in Abiemhnom county of Unity state and was sponsored by Concordis International, a British-based non-governmental organisation (NGO) that works for peace along South Sudan and Sudan’s shared border.

More than 100 local chiefs and commissioners from Unity state attended the meeting discuss ways to facilitate the peaceful movement of the Misseriya tribe from South Kordofan into Unity state and Warrap state in South Sudan.

George Mabany Chakuoth, state coordinator for Concordis in Unity State, said that their aims are to build consensus over cross-border migration.

Chakuoth added that since South Sudan’s secession citizens needed to understand that the movement of the Misseriya with their cattle would continue after independence. There is a need to spread awareness among communities along the border to avoid violence, he said.

Concordis tries act as a neutral body and has offices in Sudan and South Sudan, “and has been able to work closely on both sides at the border and undertake complementary activities,” said Chakuoth.

“We are not here to side with one but just to talks with people and bring them together facilitate their discussion and their relations so that they can do so many peaceful dialogues among themselves.”

Unity state citizens allege that some South Kordofan cattle herders carry arms whenever crossing into Unity State searching for pasture for their animals. One of the main challenges that communities on both sides of the border is that the border has not been demarcated.

Both sides claim ownership of the Heglig, Nyama and Tor Abieth the oil producing areas near the border.

Unity State deputy governor William Dawut Riak, who attended the conference on Wednesday, told Sudan Tribune on Thursday that the conference was very important as it was the first conference on cross border relations at a community level since independence.

Salva Kiir South Sudan’s president visited Khartoum last month to discuss outstanding issues with the government of his counterpart Omar Hassan Al-Bashir. Since the meeting relations between the two countries have deteriorated with both sides accusing the other of arming insurgencies in each others territories. Both Juba and Khartoum deny the charges against them.

Earlier this month Sudan’s army bombed Unity state in South Sudan according to the UN, South Sudan and reporters from the BBC and Reuters who witnessed the attack. Khartoum denies it bombed the Yida area which hosts refugees who had fled conflict in South Kordofan.

Concordis say its approach is to focus on relations at a local level to help authorities establish mechanisms to resolve disputes peacefully and seek to support cross border dialogue.

The deputy governor warned the Misseriya that they were welcome to come into independent South Sudan with their cattle but they had to respect law and order.

(ST)