South Sudan's Machar launches peace initiative in Jonglei state - Sudan Tribune

April 2, 2012 (JUBA) – A long awaited peace initiative aimed at reconciling all the rival communities in the volatile Jonglei state will be launched on Tuesday, April 3, 2012, in Bor town, announces the office of the Vice President.

Thousands of people, mainly women and children, have been killed for the last six years as a result of inter-communal conflicts in the state.

The President of the Republic, Salva Kiir Mayardit last month formed a committee chaired by Bishop Daniel Deng Bul of the Episcopal Church, to initiate peace and reconciliation conferences between the communities in the state.

The Vice President’s Press Secretary, James Gatdet Dak, told the Sudan Tribune that the initiative will be launched today, Tuesday, in the state’s capital, Bor. He said the Vice President of the Republic, Riek Machar Teny, who is currently in Bor town, will address the occasion.

The launch of the peace initiative comes after the Vice President toured, for the last two weeks, all the eleven counties of Jonglei state including Poshalla, Pibor, Akobo, Uror, Nyirol, Duk, Bor, Twic East, Pigi, Ayod and Fangak counties.

During the visits he urged all the respective communities to surrender their guns to the organized forces that carry out the disarmament and prepare for peace conferences that will reconcile them.

The launch of the peace initiative will open the door for the peace committee under the chairmanship of Bishop Daniel Deng Bul to begin organizing mini conferences by various respective communities before conducting a joint major peace and reconciliation conference to include representatives of all the communities.

The Tuesday’s launch will be witnessed by the national ministers, deputy ministers and chairpersons of commissions, members of parliament and elders who hail from Jonglei state, among others.

ST