Eastern Equatoria gender minister calls on leaders to unite people
July 7, 2015 (TORIT) – Eastern Equatoria state minister of gender, child & social welfare in South Sudan has called on intellectuals and politicians to unite and end the inter-communal violence across the state counties.
Idwa Okuye lamented on Monday, saying many “evil deeds” were happening in Eastern Equatoria state including killing of women and children as well as child abduction between rival communities she did not mention by names.
She criticized state intellectuals and politicians for doing less, adding that the rule of law should take its course against perpetrators whose aim was to destroy the image of the peaceful communities living in the eight counties of the state despite their minor differences.
The state’s top gender official made the comments on Monday while addressing a one-day training on peace mobilization held in Torit Women Centre. The event was organized by a non-governmental organization, Skills for Peace and Development (SPD), which aimed to empower capacities of volunteers in the communities as peace promoters.
Beneficiaries in the training told Sudan Tribune that state civil society peace promoters in Eastern Equatoria were getting ready to educate communities on peace to avoid killing of people and cattle raiding.
SPD consultant Charles Onen Lofok said the meeting had come out with designed activities to start sensitization in the communities. Stella Sunday, another volunteer for Skills for Peace and Development also reiterated her commitment to advocate for peace in the communities.
Peter Oromo, another beneficiary, commended the training saying he had acquired knowledge of proposal writing from the training.
Among the peace building initiatives, education, water and sanitation and HIV /AIDS components have also been part of the training of the volunteers on proposal writing.
(ST)