Yiep Joseph
Africa-Press – South-Sudan. The communities of Bor County, Jonglei State, and Gumuruk County in the Greater Pibor Administrative Area are considering reopening trade routes after one year of closure.
The trading routes between the two communities were closed in 2021 following a fierce inter-communal clash.
The communities made the decision during the conclusion of the two-day workshop that brought together about 20 participants to dialogue in Juba.
The group included women representatives, youth leaders, and chiefs from two counties, Bor and Gumuruk, with the hope of deliberating ways to end child abduction and cattle raids.
In an interview with The City Review yesterday, Gumuruk Paramount Chief, Gulech Wau Ole, promised to talk to the youth to end attacks and resume trade.
“We need to end the conflict and reopen the trade routes so that our youth can trade freely without fear. “For us in Gumuruk, we are ready to support and join hands with Bor to reopen the routes,” Gulech said.
Gulech made a commitment to silence guns along the trading routes and issued a harsh warning to any criminals who would attempt to interrupt the transport routes.
He said the closure of the trade routes had turned the famous Anyidi business hub into a ghost market.
“I am going to talk to the youth so that they shun all sorts of conflict, but I still want my chief from Bor to do the same,” he said.
He stated that Gumuruk was willing to engage in dialogue with all bordering communities in order to resolve differences and begin a new chapter.
“I will work with my government and authorities to make sure that peace comes to our people so that we stay as one people with all our neighbours,” he said.
One of the chiefs from Bor County, Wal Mach Madol, emphasised that the youth have a great role to play in the peacemaking processes, adding that most of the clashes are caused by the youth.
Gumuruk youth leader, Khamis Samuel Baba, stressed the importance of reopening the trade routes linking the two communities to boost trade and the movement of people.
“We need to reopen routes connecting us; we need to support this from both sides so that it is implemented,” Khamis said.
“We need to support [this] in order to open the roads, and we need to monitor it in order to prevent anyone who wants to disrupt [the peace]…we don’t want anyone to bring insecurity on the road again,” he said.
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