KUAJOK — The Deputy Governor of Warrap State, Aluel Garang, has called for peacebuilding efforts to move beyond conference halls and reach local communities, saying sustainable peace requires the direct involvement of ordinary citizens.
Deputy governor Aluel made this during the closure of a two-day workshop organized by BRISS in partnership with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Kuajok on Wednesday.
The workshop brought together officials from several line ministries, including local government, women’s affairs, youth, and traditional leadership representatives.
Deputy governor Aluel said peace agreements and dialogue forums alone cannot end recurring violence unless their commitments are translated into action at the grassroots level.
“Peace Must go beyond the conference hall and reach grassroots, where communities are expected to play a central role in promoting peaceful coexistence and resolving conflicts,” she said.
Auel said the symposium concluded with a number of resolutions aimed at promoting peace and stability across the state.
She said participants called for the arrest and prosecution of perpetrators of criminal acts, including rape, robbery, and cattle raiding, and urged authorities to ensure that those responsible are held accountable.
She said the meeting also resolved to establish a High-Level Peace Committee tasked with disseminating peace messages and promoting reconciliation among communities across the state.
“Our people need to be more law-abiding, as there is no shortcut to finding redress; it is time our people can embrace all initiatives of peace.”
The state’s first female deputy underscored the need to avoid speculative approaches to resolving community disputes, stressing that sustainable solutions require genuine commitment and collective resolve.
“It is your role as members of the local government who are drawn from six counties in the state, work around ways to resolve the disputes through instilling peace and reconciliation in the villages during any function taking place in the state.”
Cattle-related violence has been a recurring source of insecurity in Warrap State, particularly in areas where communities depend heavily on cattle for livelihoods, wealth, and social status.
Conflicts often arise over cattle raiding, revenge attacks, access to grazing areas and water points, and disputes over migration routes.
The violence can involve armed youth from neighboring communities and may escalate when cattle raids are followed by retaliatory attacks.
Such cycles of revenge have contributed to deaths, injuries, displacement, and loss of livestock while also disrupting farming and humanitarian activities.
