Statement of participants from Yirol meeting on Wunlit 1999 peace conference after 22 years (Yirol Agreement)

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Country/entity
South Sudan
Region
Africa (excl MENA)
Agreement name
Statement of participants from Yirol meeting on Wunlit 1999 peace conference after 22 years (Yirol Agreement)
Date
19 May 2021
Agreement status
Multiparty signed/agreed
Interim arrangement
Yes
Agreement/conflict level
Intrastate/local conflict ( Sudan Conflicts (1955 - ) )
Stage
Implementation/renegotiation
Conflict nature
Inter-group
Peace process
South Sudan: Post-secession Local agreements
Parties
The agreement lists the following signatories:

Peter Nyuong Danhiar (Paramount Chief, Payinjiar County)

Gum Mading Akuecbany (Paramount Chief, Wunlit County)

Sawat Malual Arop (Paramount Chief, Aduol Kong County)

Jacob Madhel Lang (Paramount Chief, Aweng Payam, Twic County and Chairperson COTAL Warrap State)

Andrew Madot Buoi (Paramount Chief, Yirol East County, Nyang Payam)

Joseph Kong Yoach (Paramount Chief, Guit County)

Elizabeth David Dabuol Ngot (Women League Chairperson, Koch County)

Isaac Magok Gatluak (Paramount Chief, Mayendit County)

Stephen Kuong Mabil (Paramount Chief, Leer County)

Madut Aguer Adel (Paramount Chief, Tonj East County)

Reechdit Anyieth Reech (Paramount Chief, Yirol East County)

Bahon Mabor Deng (Paramount Chief, Yirol West County)

Thiik Riiny Giir (Paramount Chief, Gogrial East County)

Marial Dhieu Malual (Paramount Chief, Yirol East County)

Malok Wol Madhieu (Paramount Chief, Tonj East County)
Third parties
Rift Valley Institute, Assistance Mission for Africa and the Swiss government.
Description
A short agreement calling for further implementation of inter-communal reconciliation efforts involving county chiefs, women, youth and religious leaders through continued community dialogues in line with the aims of the Wunlit agreement of 1999. Substantively this agreement follows up on its partner agreement in Nyal and makes provision for return of IDPS, development and humanitarian supports to address flooding and calls for the enforcement by the office of the regional commissioner to address key issues for community peace. The provisions address community violence and hate speech acts and the prevalence of weapons within communities, calling for an overall solution to ongoing inter-communal violence in border areas between the states.

Agreement document
SS_210519_Yirol meeting signed statement.pdf | Download PDF

Groups

Children/youth
Groups→Children/youth→Rhetorical
Page 2, Therefore we resolve:
- To reconvene a second Wunlit meeting bringing together all chiefs from across the three regions together with commissioners, youth, women and religious leaders to convene once again in Wunlit and evoke the spirit of Wunlit;
Disabled persons
No specific mention.
Elderly/age
No specific mention.
Migrant workers
No specific mention.
Racial/ethnic/national group
No specific mention.
Religious groups
No specific mention.
Indigenous people
No specific mention.
Other groups
No specific mention.
Refugees/displaced persons
Groups→Refugees/displaced persons→Rhetorical
Page 2, We appeal:
- To the humanitarian actors to provide support to those displaced by the flooding in Unity State.

Page 2, Therefore we resolve:
- That our people in Payinjiar County should be welcome for peaceful coexistence to the drylands in Lakes State whilst the floods subside;
Social class
No specific mention.

Gender

Women, girls and gender
Page 2, Therefore we resolve:
- To reconvene a second Wunlit meeting bringing together all chiefs from across the three regions together with commissioners, youth, women and religious leaders to convene once again in Wunlit and evoke the spirit of Wunlit;

Page 2, Signatories: We, the undersigned, resolve this on Wednesday 19 May in Yirol, Yirol West County, Lakes State, South Sudan.
... Elizabeth David Dabuol Ngot, Women League Chairperson, Koch County
Men and boys
Gender→Men and boys→Other
Page 1, We acknowledge and endorse and reiterate:
- In particular, the absence of key chiefs missing from our meeting, notably from the Bul Nuer community, and the prevalence of guns in the hands of our young men;
LGBTI
No specific mention.
Family
No specific mention.

State definition

Nature of state (general)
No specific mention.
State configuration
No specific mention.
Self determination
No specific mention.
Referendum
No specific mention.
State symbols
No specific mention.
Independence/secession
No specific mention.
Accession/unification
No specific mention.
Border delimitation
No specific mention.
Cross-border provision
No specific mention.

Governance

Political institutions (new or reformed)
No specific mention.
Elections
No specific mention.
Electoral commission
No specific mention.
Political parties reform
No specific mention.
Civil society
No specific mention.
Traditional/religious leaders
Page 1, We acknowledge and endorse and reiterate:
- In particular, the absence of key chiefs missing from our meeting, notably from the Bul Nuer community, and the prevalence of guns in the hands of our young men;

Page 2, We appeal:
- To our community leaders at large to stop hate speech and inciting community violence;
- To the Church to be actively involved and remain visible in the support of work of community peace and social cohesion;

Page 2, Therefore we resolve:
- To reconvene a second Wunlit meeting bringing together all chiefs from across the three regions together with commissioners, youth, women and religious leaders to convene once again in Wunlit and evoke the spirit of Wunlit;
Public administration
Page 1, We recognise with concern:
- That the Commissioner of Payinjiar County has not yet taken up his position meaning that the Commissioners of the neighbouring counties do not have a counterpart in place with whom to resolve key issues;

Page 1, We appeal:
- To the Transitional Government of National Unity, Republic of South Sudan, and to the Community in Payinjiar County to address the concerns around the Commissioner as soon as possible;
Constitution
No specific mention.

Power sharing

Political power sharing
No specific mention.
Territorial power sharing
No specific mention.
Economic power sharing
No specific mention.
Military power sharing
No specific mention.

Human rights and equality

Human rights/RoL general
No specific mention.
Bill of rights/similar
No specific mention.
Treaty incorporation
No specific mention.
Civil and political rights
No specific mention.
Socio-economic rights
No specific mention.

Rights related issues

Citizenship
No specific mention.
Democracy
No specific mention.
Detention procedures
No specific mention.
Media and communication
Rights related issues→Media and communication→Other
Page 2, We appeal:
- To our community leaders at large to stop hate speech and inciting community violence;
Mobility/access
No specific mention.
Protection measures
No specific mention.
Other
No specific mention.

Rights institutions

NHRI
No specific mention.
Regional or international human rights institutions
No specific mention.

Justice sector reform

Criminal justice and emergency law
No specific mention.
State of emergency provisions
No specific mention.
Judiciary and courts
No specific mention.
Prisons and detention
No specific mention.
Traditional Laws
No specific mention.

Socio-economic reconstruction

Development or socio-economic reconstruction
Socio-economic reconstruction→Development or socio-economic reconstruction→Humanitarian assistance
Page 2, We appeal:
- To the humanitarian actors to provide support to those displaced by the flooding in Unity State.
National economic plan
No specific mention.
Natural resources
No specific mention.
International funds
No specific mention.
Business
No specific mention.
Taxation
No specific mention.
Banks
No specific mention.

Land, property and environment

Land reform/rights
No specific mention.
Pastoralist/nomadism rights
No specific mention.
Cultural heritage
No specific mention.
Environment
Page 1, We recognise with concern:
- The serious flooding and subsequent challenges to livelihoods faced by the citizens of Payinjiar County.

Page 2, We appeal:
- To the humanitarian actors to provide support to those displaced by the flooding in Unity State.

Page 2, Therefore we resolve:
- That our people in Payinjiar County should be welcome for peaceful coexistence to the drylands in Lakes State whilst the floods subside;
Water or riparian rights or access
Page 1, We recognise with concern:
- The serious flooding and subsequent challenges to livelihoods faced by the citizens of Payinjiar County.

Page 2, We appeal:
- To the humanitarian actors to provide support to those displaced by the flooding in Unity State.

Page 2, Therefore we resolve:
- That our people in Payinjiar County should be welcome for peaceful coexistence to the drylands in Lakes State whilst the floods subside;

Security sector

Security Guarantees
No specific mention.
Ceasefire
No specific mention.
Police
No specific mention.
Armed forces
No specific mention.
DDR
No specific mention.
Intelligence services
No specific mention.
Parastatal/rebel and opposition group forces
No specific mention.
Withdrawal of foreign forces
No specific mention.
Corruption
No specific mention.
Crime/organised crime
Page 2, Therefore we resolve:
- To work amongst ourselves to identify and condemn the thieves, criminals and peace spoilers in our communities;
Drugs
No specific mention.
Terrorism
No specific mention.

Transitional justice

Transitional justice general
No specific mention.
Amnesty/pardon
No specific mention.
Courts
No specific mention.
Mechanism
No specific mention.
Prisoner release
No specific mention.
Vetting
No specific mention.
Victims
No specific mention.
Missing persons
No specific mention.
Reparations
No specific mention.
Reconciliation
Page 1, We appeal:
- To the Transitional Government of National Unity, Republic of South Sudan, and our partners in peace, to organise a Governors' and Commissioners' conference to bring together Governors and Commissioners of Yirol East, Yirol West, Payinjiar, Rumbek East, Rumbek North, Tonj East, Twic, Mayom, Gogrial East Counties, and Abyei Administrative Area;

Page 2, Therefore we resolve:
- To reconvene a second Wunlit meeting bringing together all chiefs from across the three regions together with commissioners, youth, women and religious leaders to convene once again in Wunlit and evoke the spirit of Wunlit;

Implementation

UN signatory
No specific mention.
Other international signatory
No specific mention.
Referendum for agreement
No specific mention.
International mission/force/similar
No specific mention.
Enforcement mechanism
No specific mention.
Related cases
No specific mention.
Source
https://riftvalley.net/news/what-happened-wunlit-reliving-south-sudans-most-successful-peace-conference

Statement of participants from Yirol meeting on Wunlit 1999 Peace Conference after 22 years

Yirol, 18-19 May 2021

On 18 — 19 May, we the thirty-one representative chiefs and women from Unity State, Lakes State and Warrap State, members of the original Wunlit Peace Conference of 1999, brought together by the Rift Valley Institute and Assistance Mission for Africa, with support from the Swiss Government, met in Yirol, Yirol West County, Lakes State.

The objectives of the meeting were to:

• Receive the research findings from the Rift Valley Institute and Catholic University of

South Sudan oral history memory project on the 1999 Wunlit Peace Conference;

• Celebrate the achievements of Wunlit;

• Document proposed ways forward for South Sudan considering the lessons learnt from Wunlit.

In recent South Sudanese history one of the most significant peace-building events was the Wunlit Peace Conference of 1999.

Wunlit was a meeting of chiefs, organised by churches, that began the process of reunification of the two factions of the SPLA/M. The Wunlit meeting paved the way for the Comprehensive Peace Agreement of 2005, which brought South Sudan into being as a nation.

Following the preceding meeting held in Nyal 13-14 May, this meeting in Yirol gave us the opportunity to reignite our memories of the Wunlit 1999 Peace Conference, which has inspired and encouraged us.

During this meeting we reviewed and discussed the Nyal statement and therefore:

We acknowledge and endorse and reiterate:

• All points made in the statement issued from the counterpart Nyal meeting 13-14

May 2021 and would want to add the following items;

• In particular, the absence of key chiefs missing from our meeting, notably from the Bul Nuer community, and the prevalence of guns in the hands of our young men;

We recognise with concern:

• The ongoing clashes and acts of violence at the border areas between our communities;

• That the Commissioner of Payinjiar County has not yet taken up his position meaning that the Commissioners of the neighbouring counties do not have a counterpart in place with whom to resolve key issues;

• The serious flooding and subsequent challenges to livelihoods faced by the citizens of Payinjiar County.

We appeal:

• To the Transitional Government of National Unity, Republic of South Sudan, and to the Community in Payinjiar County to address the concerns around the Commissioner as soon as possible;

• To the Transitional Government of National Unity, Republic of South Sudan, and our partners in peace, to organise a Governors' and Commissioners' conference to bring together Governors and Commissioners of Yirol East, Yirol West, Payinjiar, Rumbek

East, Rumbek North, Tonj East, Twic, Mayom, Gogrial East Counties, and Abyei Administrative Area;

• To our community leaders at large to stop hate speech and inciting community violence;

• To the Church to be actively involved and remain visible in the support of work of community peace and social cohesion;

• To the humanitarian actors to provide support to those displaced by the flooding in Unity State.

Therefore we resolve:

• To accept peace amongst our communities;

• That our people in Payinjiar County should be welcome for peaceful coexistence to the drylands in Lakes State whilst the floods subside;

• To work amongst ourselves to identify and condemn the thieves, criminals and peace spoilers in our communities;

• To reconvene a second Wunlit meeting bringing together all chiefs from across the three regions together with commissioners, youth, women and religious leaders to convene once again in Wunlit and evoke the spirit of Wunlit;

• To reiterate our request for a joint meeting with President Salva Kiir and First VicePresident Dr Riek Machar to discuss the issues of local conflict amongst our communities.

We, the undersigned, resolve this on Wednesday 19 May in Yirol, Virol West County, Lakes State, South Sudan: