Governor Sarah Cleto pose for a group photo with military officials from the SSPDF and SPLA-IO after a meeting in Wau town on August 19, 2020 - credit | courtesy

The governor of Western Bahr el Ghazal has called for unity of purpose amongst the citizens of her state.

Sarah Cleto urged everyone to rally behind the implementation of the revitalized peace agreement despite their affiliations.

She said the current peace must be harness through grass-roots dialogue initiatives to resolve constant disputes.

Thousands of civilians sought refuge at the UN camps in Wau following the outbreak of broke violence in 2013 and 2016.

In 2017, the area witnessed fighting between the army and an anti-government group.

Many parts of the country including Wau experienced a series of communal violence, attacks, and revenge killings.

Throughout July, there were violent exchanged between the SSPDF and the SPLA-IO over the arrest of a military commander, and subsequent attacks on civilians along the Wau-Tonj road.

Governor Sarah Cleto was nominated for appointed by the SPLM-IO to lead Western Bahr el Ghazal state.

She remains the only female governor to serve in the revitalized transitional government of national unity.

Cleto believes that sustainable peace -through the revitalized peace -can be achieved when mistrust among the communities are addressed.

“If anybody has a problem or concern, let’s talk about it, let’s sit and dialogue,” said Governor Cleto. “Let’s unit as people of Western Bahr el-Ghazal and work for peace for us to move forward.”

She made the remarks in Wau town on Thursday during the release of SPLA-IO commander by the SSPDF.

The peace agreement also provides for the establishment of truth, reconciliation and healing commission to address issues of human rights violations and abuses, breaches of the rule of law and excessive abuses of power committed against all persons in South Sudan by State, non-State actors, and or their agents and allies.

The Permanent Constitution-making Process shall also be based on the principles of Committing the people of South Sudan to a peaceful resolution of national issues through dialogue, tolerance, accommodation and respect of others opinions.

“Violence will not take us anywhere, this is the time of peace and reconciliation,” Cleto concluded.