Historic Gathering in Juba
More than 60 women from Jonglei State and the Greater Pibor Administrative Area converged in Juba for a landmark five-day peace conference, seeking to break entrenched cycles of revenge killings, child abductions and gender-based violence that have scarred South Sudan for decades.
Women Drive Grassroots Peace
Organised by the local NGO Peace Canal under its Bridges of Peace programme, the event provided what coordinator Nyadow Biel Makuach called “the first safe space for women to speak as peace fighters, not victims,” bringing together Nuer, Murle and Dinka representatives from Greater Bor, Greater Akobo and Ayod.
Makuach argues that women occupy a unique junction of influence, as mothers of abducted children and partners of armed youth, enabling them to mediate disputes quickly and quietly where formal negotiators struggle.
Economic Empowerment Demands
Delegates stressed that peace cannot hold without livelihoods. Mary Kech Buol, speaking for Bor County’s Women’s Protection Team, urged partners to invest in female-led trading cooperatives, noting that cattle schemes for young men have reduced raids but left women economically sidelined.
Education as Shield
Mama Mary Baal from GPAA highlighted renewed advocacy for girls’ schooling, recalling that many Murle girls previously missed classrooms. Educated daughters, she said, become negotiators and breadwinners, lowering incentives for abduction and early marriage.
Shifting Gender Dynamics
Participants recalled earlier talks where one woman sat among twenty men. The present ratio, close to parity, signals a cultural shift recognised by local chiefs who increasingly invite women to dispute resolution forums, according to Peace Canal monitors.
Road Ahead for Community Stability
The conference closed with a pledge to train 100 volunteer peace envoys who will return to villages before the next dry-season migration, a period notorious for clashes. Organisers will track incidents to gauge whether women’s interventions translate into fewer raids and safer markets.
While funding remains a hurdle, the atmosphere in Juba was notably hopeful. “We are the backbone of stability,” Mama Mary concluded. Observers from UNMISS and faith groups echoed her sentiment, calling the gathering a model for community-level peace throughout the Greater Nile Basin.