CEPO’s regional office in Bahr el Ghazal ‘disappointed’ by violence in Abyei

JUBA – The regional office of South Sudan’s civil society watchdog, the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), in the Bahr el Ghazal region has expressed disappointment over the continued violence in the disputed Abyei region.

Last week, fighting broke out in southern Abyei after armed youth from neighboring Warrap State attacked several villages of Abyei area including Aneet killing dozens of civilians and displaced a number of households.

In a statement, CEPO’s Bahr el Ghazal regional office expressed disappointment at the continued violence and said that it sees it unfortunate for sisterly people of Ngok and Twic Dinka to be involved in communal violence that it said will not bring good to the people.

“Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) Regional Office in Bahr el Ghazal would like to express her sincere disappointment with the continues violence between Ngok Dinka and Twic Mayardit community. This is very unfortunate and tragic development between the sisterly communities which has widen the existing ethnic differences of the mentioned community members,” the statement extended to Sudans Post reads in part.

“It is very unfortunate to see two sisterly communities who have been coexisting peacefully, inter marri aging, sharing their cultural values and livelihood for centuries to turn against each other this demoniac manner,” the statement added.

CEPO’s regional coordinator Stephen Robo condemned the violence and called on national and state authorities to intervene in order to deploy a remedy for the immediate end of the violence in a way that it do not repeat itself.

“I urge the community leaders, especially young people from both communities of Ngok Dinka and Twic communities to refrain from any incitement and spread of hate speech which may worsen situation on ground and that may lead into loss of more innocent community members,” he said.

The activist further called “for immediate peace dialogue to be spearheaded by religious leaders and impartial national civil society organizations to grantee genuine and transparent peace dialogue.”

“I appeal to leaders of Ngok Dinka and Twic wherever they are to encourage their community members to avoid inciting violence and politize the ongoing communal violence. It is a high time that these communities rethink and return to coexist peacefully more than before considering the floor displacement and continues violence between Ngok Dinka and Arab Misseriya of Sudan,” he added.

The statement further said that “CEPO stands ready to support any initiative that may lead to durable peace between the two community members.  And strongly encourage the speediest process of the inter-state peace conference which is initiated by the Governor of Western Bahr el Ghazal State.”