Rezeigat, Dinka Malual and Luo peace delegates pose for a photo in Nyamlel NGBs. (-)

The South Sudanese communities of Dinka Malual and Luo have signed a pre-migration peace agreement with the Rezeigat of Sudan following a four-day conference on peaceful co-existence.

The peace delegates convened the conference at Nyamlel Payam in Northern Bahr el Ghazal State from 3^rd March 2024, where they reviewed and deliberated on the 2023 pre-migration peace conference.

William Kolong Pioth, the Regional Peace Coordinator of the South Sudan Peace Commission said the conference aims to regulate the movement of cattle to avoid destruction of livelihoods.

Kolong said the peace conference is important in preventing further conflicts between the host communities and the pastoralists.

According to him, both parties have agreed that the Rezeigat pastoralists will be prohibited from camping their cattle close to the host communities to avoid properties damages.

“The conference has been attended by 116 people this year and I am particularly happy that the chiefs and the paramount chiefs have responded to this year confront is a bit different from the usual conference.”

Kolong said the South Sudan delegation normally instructs the Reziegat to come to South Sudan seasonally and return home by May to allow Dinka Malual and Lou to cultivate.

However, he said this year may be different, and the pastoralists may stay longer because of the current conflict in Sudan.

“Most of the cattle camps may not go back in time. And therefore, the solutions are going to be a bit different. There will be a group that is attending and the one that is amending the territory of the South Sudan.”

Pre-Migration Peace Conferences serve as platforms to promote peace and harmony among border pastoralist communities.

Since the first edition in 2008, relations between the communities have progressively improved.

Livestock herders from Sudan are allowed to cross the border towards the Dinka-controlled territory and at the end of the migration period, they can return peacefully to Sudan through the designated routes.