Sep 12, 2020(Nyamilepedia) — South Sudan president met the leadership of the controversial National Dialogue at the presidential palace to address the upcoming national dialogue conference and issues of cattle between the natives and displaced cattle farmers in Equatoria region.
“President Salva Kiir met with the leadership of the National Dialogue at the State House on Thursday. They brief him on the agenda for the upcoming national dialogue conference, and issues of cattle in the farm lands in the Equatoria region.” reads part of a statement from the office of the president.
Speaking to the media after the meeting, the co-chair of the national dialogue committee, Angelo Beda, said that they have set the date for the national dialogue conference for 3rd of November this year in Juba.
Mr. Beda also said that the leadership of the national dialogue has urged President Kiir to invite regional leaders and friends of South Sudan to attend or address the occasion via video conference.
The co-chairman of the group, further added that they have formed a community engagement committee comprising of five Equatorian tribes of Madi, Acholi, Luluba, Kuku, and Bari to engage with the Dinka-Bor community to address the issues of cattle keepers in the farm lands in the Equatoria region.
“he emphasized that the cattle keepers should leave the land of the farmers and take their cattle back to their home areas.” Parts of the statement read.
The issue of cattle and land grabbing in Equatoria are among the key grievances the natives of Equatoria hold against the government and particularly against the Dinka tribe.
Many farms have been destroyed and inter-communal feuds between the locals and the Dinka community over the land and cattle rights are on the rise in different parts of Equatoria.
The National Dialogue was unilaterally created by president Salva Kiir and his inner circle against objection of other parties’ leaders and civil society groups who demand for full implementation of the peace agreement that would provide political stability and security needed to hold the dialogue across the country.
The national dialogue committee was created through a presidential decree on 14 December 2016 following the breakdown of the previous peace agreement as an alternative to the IGAD led peace process.
Also read: The National Dialogue Initiative in South Sudan – ACCORD
For the past almost four years, the National Dialogue, which is based in the capital Juba, has made very little progress in terms of reconciling the population.
