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PEACE & RECONCILIATION

SOUTH SUDAN PEACE INITIATIVE

South Sudan Launches a National

Reconciliation Programme

South Sudan will be marking two years of independence in July. However, reprisal attacks
among communities still remains a thorny issue for the new nation; and as a way of ending
such attacks and paving way for peaceful co-existence, the government has launched an
eight million South Sudanese Pounds (SSP) Truth and Reconciliation Programme. Gurtong’s
Central Equatoria State Correspondent Waakhe Simon Wudu finds out how the programme
will be implemented.

the government of South Sudan,
said the move is aimed at diffusing
the “trauma” effect, which is yet to
dissipate even after eight years since
the signing of the Comprehensive
Peace Agreement (CPA) in 2005.
The trauma effect to is being treated as
one of the factors responsible for the
recurring instability in South Sudan.
Analysts and politicians, including
the South Sudanese Vice President
Dr. Riek Machar, have repeatedly
said the trauma effect would need a
concerted effort to heal the nation.
Dr. Marial said work on the peace
and reconciliation initiative has
started with the National Council
of Ministers endorsing SSP 8.2
million in January to facilitate
the programme. The work on the
blue print and modalities for the
programme according to Dr. Marial
has already started. The Cabinet also
recommended that mapping of the
conflict affected areas in the country

Archbishop Desmond Tutu is part of independent leaders known as “The Elders” using their collective should start immediately. It will be
experience and influence for peace, justice and human rights worldwide. [Gurtong | File] followed by a national reconciliation
conference to be held in April in
Peace programmes have been going on in most parts of the Juba. “This process is the journey for
country alongside the disarmament programme in volatile healing and national reconciliation in South Sudan,” Marial
Jonglei State. The aim of the reinforced peace and reconciliation said. “It is an initiative taken by the government to embark
drive is to promote internal peace and stability, a government on reconciliation which is a national healing process. This will
spokesperson has said. Dr. Barnaba Marial, speaking for actually harmonize the people of the Republic of South Sudan

52 | Gurtong Focus Monthly February 2013