Map of Jonglei State and Pibor Administrative Area. (Credit: Wikipedia).

A youth leader in Jonglei State says the decades of inter-communal violence between armed youth from the state and Pibor Administrative Area will stop if his neighboring counterparts honor the Pieri Agreement.

Nyan Chuon Chuol, who identifies himself as leader of the White Army militia group, said the recent violence in Pibor Administrative Area was provoked by rampant child abductions allegedly by Pibor youth.

In an interview with Eye Radio from Jonglei this week, Chuon argued that the attack on their neighbors was a retaliation to the previous unwarranted attacks.

“When we raided Pibor, we were not after women and children. We went to fight the men who don’t want to honor the peace signed between Pibor and Jonglei,” he said.

“We didn’t kill women or children, and those abducted have been handed over to the government and United Nations.”

The Pieri Agreement is a local agreement signed in March 2021 with the aim of resolving the violent conflict between the diverse ethnic groups of Lou Nuer, Dinka Bor, and Murle in the Jonglei region.

In the agreement, the communities pledge to support peace efforts, and develop modalities for punishment of perpetrators, return of abducted women and children, and return of stolen cattle.

“It is up to Pibor Youth to end this cycle of violence because no one from Lou Nuer’s land has ever gone to raid Murle for no reason. It is them that used to come and provoke us into revenge attacks,” Chuon said.

The White Army militia group has been blamed for the vicious violence in Upper Nile State as well as the conflict in the Pibor Administrative Area.

The recent violence in Lekuangole and Gumuruk counties of the Pibor has left dozens killed, an unknown number of women and children abducted, and thousands displaced.

The government of Jonglei State has been negotiating with the local armed raiders to free women and children from captivity.

The state information Minister John Samuel Manyuon says the government has so far recovered 85 women and children to be taken back to their families by humanitarian organizations.