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in order to enhance the process of unity,” he said. He added: “I would prefer we focus on the major issue starting
The conference will bring together both National and State from the President and the rest of us. If we have done something
government institutions such as the Executive, Legislature and wrong we should come up and apologize to our own people.
the Judiciary. It will also include the civil society organizations That is how at least Dr. John Garang wanted to approach it.
and other organizations. The process will then spill to the He started in June 2005 by making the tour six months before
States, Counties right to the Bomas. we signed the agreement; and he was apologizing to the people
The peace and reconciliation programme shall cover areas of directly in Yei, Rumbek and Yambio,”.
ethnicity, issues of civil society, jobs, land grabbing issues in According to Lual, the reconciliation process should be
Juba and Wau and so on. targeting areas of political work - people feel that they were
“We have got issues connected with border between different unjustly mistreated by the Sudan People’s Liberation Army/
counties, areas of conflicts such as cattle rustling. So it is these Movement (SPLA/M). Also the other political parties who
areas that you need to have reconcil-
iation process on, where people sit
together and discuss amicably so
that people forgive each other and
take acceptable decisions,” Marial
explained.
The Conference in April will include
international dignitaries such as
renowned world peacemakers such as
South Africa’s Archbishop Desmond
Tutu who is expected to share the
reconciliation and healing experiences
from South Africa with South
Sudanese.
Another important dignitary expected
to attend the conference is former
British Prime Minister Tony Blair who
Marial said will give a lecture on good
governance. Religious scholars and
government leaders from countries
such as Nigeria will also be among the
international guests.
Dr. Lual A. Deng, a civil society activist Tony Blair’s during a visit to Juba in December 2011. Blair visited the
and also member of the National country for the second time in December 2012. [Gurtong | File]
Parliament highly underscored the
reconciliation initiative but was skeptical on the involvement formed militia should also apologize but not the small cattle
of elites from the Western world. He said the Western form of rustling – those have different models.
justice may not fit in South Sudan. Since independence in 2011, South Sudan has continuously
“We should rely on the South African model and then try to experienced both internal and external instability in all three
readjust it so that it is consistent with our own value system regions: Greater Equatoria, Upper Nile and Bahr el Ghazal.
which might be slightly different from the South African one. Other Approaches to Restore Peace
I would stand with the South African and avoid the Tony Blair However, a recent report unveiled by SUDD Institute, a South
type because he is also learning from us. So, let something Sudanese Think-tank, indicates that, besides the healing and
African be done,” Lual said. reconciliation programme, the government and its partners

Gurtong Focus Monthly February 2013| 53