• Country/entity

  South Sudan
  

• Region

  Africa (excl MENA)
  

• Agreement name

  Gogrial State Grassroots Peace Initiative

• Date

  4 Aug 2017

• 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

  Hon. Ludoviko Lual Aken 
  Chairman, Aguok Community 
  
  Chief Justice Ambrose Riny Thiik
  Chairman, Apuk Community – Juba 
  
  Gen. Agasio Akol Tong 
  Chairman, Awan Community 
  
  Jackson Akot Majok
  Chairman, Kuac Community

• Third parties

  Most Rev. Bishop Elias Taban Parangi  Head of EPC Peace Desk  Republic of South Sudan

• Description

  The communities of Aguok, Apuk, Awan, and Kuac agree that a peacebuilding and healing conference is to be organized, that youths will be disarmed, and that a neutral investigative body is to be established in order to try current cases.

• Agreement document

  SS_170804_Signing Ceremony of Gogrial State Grassroots Peace Initiatives.pdf | Download PDF

Local agreement properties

• Process type

  Formal structured process
  

• Rationale

  Agreement is the result of a one-month mediation process facilitated by the Evangelical Presbyterian church and His Voice Global USA. This mediation process was approved by the President of South Sudan (see reference). Large group of participants, including government officials, met twice as part of this process. Another local peace agreement dealt with conflict in Gogrial State (see Gogrial Agreement between Twic, Aweil East, Aweil South and Gogrial West Counties of 13/07/2013), suggesting that this is not an isolated example. Secondary sources also suggest that there have been previous peace agreements and initiatives (see reference, World Vision 2018).

• Is there a documented link to a national peace process?

  No

• Link to national process: articulated rationale

  While the mediation process that led to this agreement was approved by the Persident of South Sudan, there is no evidence that suggests that this agreement is linked to the national-level peace process.

• Name of Locale

  Gogrial State

• Nature Of Locale

  Region

• GPS Lat/Long (DD)

  8.299814, 27.986469

• Participant type

  Local state actor
  International or transnational actor
  Domestic religious organisation/leader or other elder
  

• Mediator, facilitator or similar

  Mediator or similar referred to

  Mediator (references)

  Mediator and funder: Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC), Most Rev. Bishop: Elias Taban Parangi, Head of EPC Peace Desk, Republic South Sudan; His Voice Global USA, Dr. Vernon Burger (see references)

  Type of mediator/facilitator/similar

  Domestic religious organisation/leader or other elder International or transnational actor

Local issues

Peace is in our hands in Jesus names – AMEN

Signing Ceremony of Gogrial State Grassroots Peace Initiatives

Before the signing Ceremony of Gogrial State Grassroots peace initiatives, the following communicate was read

August 4th 2017

Communique

Driven by the Church divine mandate 2Corinthians 5:

18-20, the Most Rev. Bishop Elias Taban Parangi and members of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC) in Yei – South Sudan spent four days from July 31, 2017 to August 4th 2017 with State Government officials, intellectuals, elders, community leaders, chiefs, sons and daughters of Gogrial State and Yei River State Government to soul search and find a lasting solution to the conflict in Gogrial State.

After extensive deliberations on the theme:

Soul searching and Strategic planning for Gogrial State grassroots Peace Initiative (GPI) the meeting led to the following key resolutions:

1. Peace building and healing conference be organized in Gogrial State with the shortest possible time by the Evangelical Presbyterian Church that brings all sons and daughters of Gogrial state so as to arrest the conflict immediately.

2. The communities resolved that Youth carrying unauthorized arms must be disarmed immediately

3. The Communities of Gogrial State call on well wishers to provide immediate relief assistance to support the displaced people of Gogrial State

4. The communities resolved that lasting peace can be achieved through provision of basic services such as:

a. Water points for both human and animal consumption

b. Schools and education

c. Food security and health services

5. The communities of Gogrial State called upon all sons and daughters of Gogrial State to abandon evil and accept God in the quest for a lasting Peace in Gogrial State immediately

6. The communities resolved that State Government must provide security in the State as well as restore the rule of law immediately

7. The communities resolved that peace building is required through:

a. Promotion of good governance

b. Rural transformation programs

c. Youth engagement in income generation activities and training of organized forces

8. The communities resolved that lasting Peace can be achieved when:

a. Neutral investigative body is established in Gogrial State to investigate and try current cases

b. Special courts are established

The Signatories and the witness to this communique for the implementation of the Gogrial Peace Initiatives [GPI] are as follows:

Hon. Ludoviko Lual Aken

Chairman, Aguok Community

Chief Justice Ambrose Riny Thiik

Chairman, Apuk Community – Juba

Gen. Agasio Akol Tong

Chairman, Awan Community

Jackson Akot Majok

Chairman, Kuac Community

Witnessed by:

Most Rev. Bishop Elias Taban Parangi

Head of EPC Peace Desk

Republic of South Sudan