Located along the Sudan - South Sudan border, the area of Abyei is about 10,546 km2 in size and embodies a complex, multi-layered dispute. The political and legal status of Abyei remains to be a contentious issue in the negotiations between the two countries. Meanwhile, local communities are persisting to co-exist and promote peace between themselves with the help of the UN and its partners.
The two communities, Ngok Dinka and Missariya, have formalized into what is known in the area as the Joint Community Peace Committee that meets once a week at Todach in Abyei to discuss a wide range of issues relating to peace and security in the area. The committee not only analyzes the situation, but also works to pre-empt any activities that may trigger tensions and possible violence.
“Given the specific Abyei context, the committee breached possible deadlocks and created a joint platform for both communities to discuss a wide range of issues. It has significantly contributed to a conducive environment” says a one of the meeting attendants.
Throughout 2017, the Joint Community Peace Committee facilitated compensation for losses, promoted peaceful means to address incidents, managed issues relating to natural resource sharing and carried out visits to communities for conducting assessments. UNISFA and UN agencies provided the required logistical as well as technical support to the committee. In addition, UN agencies engaged the platform in their community peacebuilding activities. The UN entities reinforced the committee’s capacity in promoting peacebuilding, community empowerment in addition to carrying out various mechanisms for resolving conflicts by adopting balanced and conflict-sensitive approaches.
Members from both communities acknowledge the committee’s importance and adopted a conflict-sensitive approach to address issues. “Despite many challenges, the Joint Community Peace Committee entirely focused on community peacebuilding issues contributing to peace and stability in the area. These efforts were able to bring the two communities together”, reiterated the chairs from both communities during a visit to Abyei.
“In many cattle-related incidents, the stolen cattle were recovered or compensated to the rightful owners through the committee’s joint efforts” added a stakeholder.
The committee, played central roles in conflict mitigation and addressing conflict drivers. Importantly, it also contributes to the management of the joint Ameit Market that uses commerce as a channel to form relationships, bringing economic gain to both communities. The market now ensures a smooth flow of trade between both communities and contributes to improved basic service facilities in the area. Moreover, the committee has contributed to the reduction of criminal and security incidents in and around Ameit Market.
The committee together with the communities, helped to maintain migration corridors addressing disputes over grazing land, water and natural resource sharing. The role of the committee has been well established as a pivotal forum in maintaining peace and stability in Abyei empowered by the two communities of the Ngok Dinka and Missariya that persevere to ensure a joint dialogue for peaceful coexistence.
