Mundri Agreement

• Country/entity

  South Sudan
  
• Region

  Africa (excl MENA)
  
• Agreement name

  Mundri Agreement
• Date

  15 Nov 2015
• Agreement status

  Multiparty signed/agreed
• Interim arrangement

  Yes
• Agreement/conflict level

  Intrastate/local conflict ( Sudan Conflicts (1955 - ) )
• Stage

  Framework/substantive - partial
• Conflict nature

  Inter-group
• Peace process

  South Sudan: Post-secession Local agreements
• Parties

  Mr James Biro David
  Representative of Greater Mundri Civil Community
  
  Major. Toby Majak Thomas
  Representative of the SPLA Division 6, Brigade 16, Mundri Battalion
• Third parties

  Bishop Paul Yugusuk
  Diocesan Bishop of Lomega
  Lead Mediator
  
  Bishop Bismark M. Avokaya
  Diocesan Bishop of Mundri
  Witness
  
  Hon. Bullen Abiatere Hakim
  Deputy Govemor of WES
  Witness
  
  Bishop Matthew Taban Peter
  Diocesan Bishop of Wonduruba
  Witness
  
  Major Gen. Johnson Juma Okot
  SPLA Division VI Commander
  Witness
• Description

  Agreement aimed to solve the conflict between the SPLA Division 6 and the local community following an increase in violence as tensions rose between migratory herdsmen, the Dinka SPLA, and the local community. Fighting displaced 80,000 locals from the area. The agreement was broken on 25 November following a gunship attack on armed youth 30km from Mundri, sparking retaliatory attacks and a downward spiral of violence.

• Agreement document

  SS_151115_Mundri_Agreement.pdf | Download PDF

Local agreement properties

• Process type

  Formal structured process
  
• Rationale

  The agreement is the result of a five-day meeting during which the Church Leaders Mediation team led by Bishop Paul Yugusuk mediated between representatives of the SPLA Mundri Battalion and the local community. The SPLA Division 6 Commander and the Deputy Governor of West Equatoria State also signed the agreement. Limited background research does not suggest a history of signing peace agreements in Mundri specifically. However, this agreement is part of a mediation initiative of the Church Leaders Mediation team that has led to the signing of another agreement in Equatoria (Wonduruba agreement, 3 December 2015).
• Is there a documented link to a national peace process?

  No
• Link to national process: articulated rationale

  Neither the agreement text nor limited background research suggests a link to the national-level peace process. Boswell (2019, 12; see references) notes that the mediation initiative that led to the signing of the agreement was not officially recognised or supported by the main conflict parties (the Government of South Sudan and the SPLA-IO).
• Name of Locale

  Mundri
• Nature Of Locale

  Region
• GPS Lat/Long (DD)

  5.345719, 30.320805
• Participant type

  Local state actor
  Domestic religious organisation/leader or other elder
  Local community/civilian group(s)/civil society organisations
  Regional state actor
  
• Mediator, facilitator or similar

  Mediator or similar referred to
  Mediator (references)

  Mediators: Bishop Paul Yugusuk, Diocesan Bishop of Lomega, Lead Mediator; Bishop Bismark M. Avokaya, Diocesan Bishop of Mundri, Witness; Bishop Matthew Taban Peter, Diocesan Bishop of Wonduruba, Witness
  Type of mediator/facilitator/similar

  Domestic religious organisation/leader or other elder

Local issues

Agreement

Between:

The Community of Greater Mundri and SPLA Division 6, Brigade 16, Mundri Battalion

On:

The Resolution of Mundri Conflict

15th November 2015

· Mundri Town Westem Equatoria State

Preamble

We, the representatives of the community of Greater Mundri and the of the SPLA Division 6, Brigade 16, Mundri Battalion have consulted between the civil population and the army and have deliberated on various issues regarding Greater Mundri conflict, from Wednesday to Sunday 15th November 2015, do hereby make the following resolutions and recommendations:

Resolutions

1. That we appreciated the church leaders’ mediation team led by Bishop Paul Yugusuk for mediating between the representatives of the community of Greater Mundri and the representatives of the SPLA Division 6, Brigade 16, Mundri Battalion in order to resolve the Greater Mundri conflict.

2. That we apologized to the community of Greater Mundri and to the SPLA Division 6, Brigade 16, Mundri Battalion on the conflict.

3. That the community of Greater Mundri and the army will respect themselves and the other law enforcement agencies as required by the interim constitution o f the Republic o f South Sudan.

4. That the youth and the army will refrain from any hostilities.

5. That the community will be able to feel free to come back and continue with socio economic development.

6. That SPLA soldiers who have caused atrocities in Mundri will be disciplined by their command.

7. That the local administration of Greater Mundri will keenly discuss with the leadership of the youth in resolving their conflict.

8. That we make a commitment to resolve this conflict once and for all.

9. That we shall hence forth be at peace with one another and respect each other.

10. That the army and the other law enforcement agencies will respect the community in accordance with the interim constitution of the Republic of South Sudan.

Page 3,

11. That the youth shall commit themselves not to cause any attacks and shall report to the county authorities about their peaceful processes at least once every month for the next three months.

12. That the SPLA leadership in Mundri should investigate on the specific soldiers that had caused atrocities and take disciplinary measures against and even remove them from among the good soldiers.

13. That the County Commissioner will form a committee to investigate the magnitude and extend of loss of lives and the looted properties, including government institutions, NGOs, hospitals, etc.

and will report to the national authority for appropriate actions, including compensation.

Recommendations

1. That the two parties requested for humanitarian support to enable to settle the IDPs.

2. That the agreement shall be disseminated to the community through media and civic awareness.

3. That the church leaders' mediation team shall monitor the implementation of the agreement and shall meet and consolidate with the parties to the agreement.

4. That the two parties agreed that the church should recommend to existing non-governmental organizations and other institutions and agencies to provide bursary for the pupils and students whose parents cannot now pay their school fees as a result of the Mundri conflict.

Signed on Sunday 15th November 2015 by:

Mr James Biro David

Representative of Greater Mundri Civil Community

Bishop Paul Yugusuk

Diocesan Bishop of Lomega

Lead Mediator

Major.

Toby Majak Thomas

Representative of the SPLA Division 6, Brigade 16, Mundri Battalion

Bishop Bismark M. Avokaya

Diocesan Bishop of Mundri

Witness

Hon. Bullen Abiatere Hakim

Deputy Govemor of WES

Witness

Bishop Matthew Taban Peter

Diocesan Bishop of Wonduruba

Witness

Major Gen. Johnson Juma Okot

SPLA Division VI Commander

Witnes