Machar detests tribal-based urban settlements in towns

April 3, 2013 (JUBA) – South Sudan’s vice-president, Riek Machar Teny, has advised against urban settlements that are based on tribal groupings, saying no nation can be built on segregated communities.

Cities such as the nation’s capital, Juba, has sections settled by specific tribes, which he said discouraged interactions and sense of togetherness between various communities.

“If you are a Nuer, for instance, you can have a neighbour from Bari or Zande communities, not necessarily from your own tribe,” he said.

The Vice President made the remarks in a 45-minute exclusive interview on the national reconciliation process with the state-owned South Sudan Television, which was broadcasted on Wednesday evening.

He blamed the situation on the decades of war in the region, which he said had created barriers between communities, traumatized the society and left many still fighting wars in their minds despite the achievement of independence.

The reconciliation process, he explained, was very important to heal the wounds emanating from the past as well as correct the status quo.

Inter-communal violence is anti-development because rival communities destroy schools, health centers and carry out attacks on roads to interrupt free movement of people and traders.
The first phase of the process this April will conduct a number of workshops and seminars on important aspects such as leadership in a traumatized society, hope in the cities, democracy and transitional justice, among others.

He said the leadership of the 20-month old independent state will devise programs in order to heal the society from the trauma and move the nation forward.

The process, which is expected to go on for 5 to 10 years, will address security, economic, development and socio-cultural issues.

200 young people, 15 from each of the ten states and 50 from the capital, Juba, will be trained starting this week, he said, further explaining that they will be deployed to their respective states to begin peace mobilization and reconciliation.

A consultative conference is scheduled for June this year where renowned international figures will attend it and share their own experiences with the South Sudanese.

The country’s vice-president recalled that the reconciliation process was provided for in the 2005 comprehensive peace agreement, but did not feature during the implementation of the agreement which would have reconciled the former regions of north and south Sudan.

“South Sudan split from the former Sudan without the reconciliation done between the peoples of the two regions,” he said.

While giving a priority to internal reconciliation among the communities in South Sudan, Machar who spearheaded the CPA implementation on the side of the ruling party, added it was also important to reconcile the peoples of Sudan and South Sudan in order to become peaceful good neighbours.

Machar hailed the cooperation agreement between the two countries, saying it has brought the atmosphere of peace. He however called on Sudan to stop its militias from attacking South Sudan such as the recent attack in Kiir Adem in Northern Bhar el Ghazal state where a number of people were killed.

The two countries, he said, need each other as they will continue to share the over 2,000kms border and conduct trade between them.

(ST)