WARRAP – Tensions between communities and among bordering states continue across Warrap, South Sudan.

Despite the signing of a peace accord by County Commissioners and community leaders from Tonj East and North in early October, on-the-ground conflicts appear unabated. In this context, upcoming seasonal cattle migration is expected to exacerbate hostilities.

To address these issues, the Civil Affairs Division of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), together with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), arranged a two-day workshop for commissioners, community leaders, youth and women representatives from six counties in Warrap. Some 85 participants attended the workshop.

The workshop’s objectives: To map and manage cross-cutting issues that impact communities as a whole and build effective early reaction mechanisms.

John Deng Kok, County Commissioner for Tonj East, emphasized that unresolved conflicts could be traced to armed civilians and a lack disarmament initiatives, which not only fuel intercommunal violence but also exacerbate inter-state rivalries between Lakes and Unity states.

“The absence of strong rule of law structures and access to justice is also another issue,” added Mauut Mayen, a cattle camp leader. “Perpetrators of revenge attacks, criminality and theft are not convicted since there is no functional legal system to address such offenses. Innocent people, therefore, are caught in a vicious cycle of violence and insecurity.”

Participants were happy with the workshop’s interactive nature and its focus on finding solutions to looming problems ahead of time.