Southern ethnic groups hold peace and reconciliation talks

More than 250 leaders and representatives of six ethnic groups held talks from 9-15 May in Liliir village, Bor region, Upper Nile, in an effort to reconcile the differences and conflicts that have arisen among them over the past 17 years of civil war. The talks, organised by the New Sudan Council of Churches (NSCC), followed a similar meeting in March 1999 between representatives of the Dinka and Nuer people in Wunlit, Western Upper Nile, and a number of smaller-scale sessions since then, Sudan Infonet, a US-based information service, reported.

The Liliir talks were attended by civic and traditional leaders from the Anyuak, Dinka, Jie, Kachipo, Murle and Nuer ethnic groups. The participants concluded the talks by signing a public covenant undertaking to cease traditional hostilities, respect civilian populations and create conditions to foster local peace and development. The declaration pledged to uphold an amnesty for all offences against people and property committed before the conference, to return all women and children abducted from their place of origin, to allow freedom of movement and encourage trade and communication and to regulate and share access to common areas for grazing, fishing and water supply.

The declaration also noted that some ethnic groups had been unable to attend the meeting - or had been prevented from doing so - and called for the widening and deepening of the process.