Breakthrough in Aweil

Waterpoints shared by Misseriya and Dinka Ngok

Peter and the Concordis team are having tea with 22 traditional leaders in a hotel in Aweil, a small town in South Sudan. On Sunday 31st Jan, they all travelled several hours from different parts of the Abyei area to Aweil, a neutral place, for a week’s peace negotiations.

One urgent problem is that thousands of cattle are waiting north of Abyei, getting restless because there’s still water and grazing in the south, whereas in the north, the water has dried up and the grass has withered. However, if the herders move the cattle before the routes are negotiated, there is a significant risk of communal tensions and outbreaks of conflict.

This meeting in Aweil matters, and it takes place with a lot of tea – hot, milky and with masses of sugar!

A peace mobiliser since 2001, Tabitha’s energy and creativity helps promote sustainable peace, community security and development.

Today, she is a technical advisor to communities from Abyei as they attend peace conferences for capacity development, in a bid to further peace in Abyei.

We are grateful to UNISFA and the EU for funding this conference, and to IOM and FAO for their support.

UPDATE 8 Feb 2021:

In a major breakthrough, together the participants agreed to hold a peace conference, in Aweil, for later in February.  Traditional leaders, diverse representatives of civil society, women and other local leaders from the cattle corridors will take part. There’ll be lots more tea to drink!

However, positive news is overshadowed by the devastating events in Amiet Peace Market on Tuesday 8 February. A fire destroyed 2,473 shops and restaurants and 300-350 homes. The effect on food security and livelihoods is expected to be significant.