Recommendations of the Terekeka Peace Conference

Cattle theft became an outstanding issue throughout the deliberations of the conference.

The second contentious issue was the movement of cattle from one location to another making it difficult to distinguish between normal grazing cattle with those that are stolen, at the same time many disputes are associated with cattle movements including grazing land and destruction of farms blamed on cattle camp chiefs and youth leaders.

References were made to the resolutions that might have been reached in the conference held earlier between Terekeka and Awerial communities organized by CEPO.

That there were also informal contacts with Bor community to adopt the same but there was little sign of acceptance from the Bor side as they were not part of that conference.

However the participants agreed and unanimously adopted that resolution but were reserved on the procedures to execute the resolution calling for approval from the three County Commissioners and their two Governors.

It is over three decades now since the bitter war between SPLM/A and SAF erupted and this conference was the first of its kind after independence of South Sudan for the communities of Terekeka, Awerial and Bor County to converge together in a peace conference held in the Episcopal Church of the Sudan, Diocese of Terekeka, Terekeka County HQs.

In accordance with the provisions of the Local Government Act Section 12(7) and Section 128, neighboring Local Government Councils have responsibility of creating peaceful coexistence, maintenance of peace and security and rule of law.

Based on this understanding the communities of the three Counties agreed to hold a peace conference to enhance peaceful coexistence and use of the natural resources.

The participants of the conference having met in Terekeka County between May 29 – 30, 2014, deliberated exhaustively and recommended that:

1. All cattle movements within each individual County or outside the respective individual County shall be regulated and issued relevant documents from a recognized Boma, Payam and County authority that will indicate the original initiation of the movement right from the headman, description of the colour(s) of such an animal, location where the cattle (animal) is destined, time of the movement and the purpose at which the cattle (animal) is intended for the movement.

2. Unless or otherwise the cattle or animals are compelled into movement caused by threat that puts the cattle or animals at risk beyond control, any cattle or animal found on movement outside the indigenous area of inhabitation, such cattle or animal shall be deemed stolen and shall be reported to the relevant authority for investigation and possible legal process in accordance with this recommendations and shall ensure that.

. a) Any cattle proved to have been stolen shall be recovered and the person proved guilty of stealing shall be charge to pay five animals in addition to the recovered one and sentenced to six months in jail without bail.

. b) Any member of the community found in breach of the above recommendations with or without consent for the interest of the accused or acting on his/her own shall be penalized in accordance with (a) above.

3. All cattle or animal intended for social gatherings and are to be slaughtered for the purposes of the gathering shall made aware to the headman who shall consider and approve the use and inform the Boma Chief of the event.

4. A Cross County Border Tribunal to be established consisting of five members from each of the three Counties to resolve any arising issues that is against these recommendations and brief the three Commissioners and Governors, and the President on the any progress made between the three communities.

5. The Cross County Border Tribunal shall ensure that all dangerous weapons in the hand of the civil population of the three Counties and that of the other Counties in South Sudan are removed and any unauthorized persons disarmed immediately in order to build a permanent peace in South Sudan.

6. The State and National Governments should empower the Local Government Structures with provision of Law Enforcement Agencies that shall support the Bomas, Payam and Counties in execution of legal statuary and customary justice.

More development initiative and fund be established to create job opportunities for especially the youth who are used and engaged in conflicts.

7. While considering forgetting and forgiving what happened in the past between the three communities, the participants of the peace conference have recommended legal proceedings without any preconditions for person found guilty of killing or committing such a crime that causes death and such a person shall face the court of law for justice to prevail/

8. Inorder to promote peaceful coexistence between the three communities the conference recommended that any member of the communities in the three Counties when found committing any crime in any of the County should be treated fairly without favor and discrimination regardless of his/her ethnic background.

9. All the community members in these three Counties should denounce child marriage and promote education to all children

10. All cattle or animal keepers should protect agriculture lands and farms to reduce the threat of food insecurity.

11. Cattle camps that resist search in the event of cattle theft shall be considered as suspects and the camp chiefs and youth leaders held responsible until proven innocent by the Boma or Payam authorities.

All the cattle camp chiefs and youth leaders are to abide by the recommendations of the conference.

12. The same peace conference specifically for women be held to empower the women to pick up with the responsibility of bringing up youth to be good leaders and, social and economic workforce

13. All heritage sites shall be respected in accordance with the Local Government

and Land Acts, 2009.

No body from anywhere who has no historical background of a place has any right to name any place within the areas of the three communities unless approved by government legislation.

14. The Chiefs, Executive Directors or such person delegated by him/her and the Commissioners should increase the level of cooperation and coordination in order to detect and deter incidences of conflicts between the three communities.

15. All the three County authorities should develop legislations that shall foster and build a sustainable peace and development.