File: Participants at the opening session of the Greater Upper Nile Regional Dialogue Conference in Juba on Monday, May 20, 2019/Emmanuel Akile/Eye Radio.

The National Dialogue steering committee has spent a “fortunate” transporting and accomodating delegates from the Greater Upper Nile region for a conference that openned in Juba today.

The regional conference could not take place in the region due to lack of facilities.

This is according to the chairperson of the sub-committee of the Upper Nile region, Simon Kun Puoch.

The conference kicked off in Juba this morning.

There have been concerns by several states that feel that there was a need to reach the people at the state level so that they could air their grievances.

Simon Kun says they could not hold the conference in the Upper Nile region because the situation is not conducive.

“The national dialogue steering committee had tried its best to convene the conference in Malakal and any other venue in upper Nile region, but we were completely defeated by the situation in the region. All the towns, the facilities were assessed but we failed to find a suitable venue for the conference to be held in the region.”

President Salva Kiir initiated the national dialogue in December 2016, arguing that it was a means to unite and reconcile the people after years of brutal conflict since December 2013.