Lainya dialogues on peaceful return of displaced persons
The Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) concluded a three-day civil-military dialogue in Lainya County.
The dialogue was aimed at addressing issues between the civilians and the military to enhance the peaceful return of the displaced persons.
In a statement extended to the media, Joel Yeka, a field officer for CEPO, said the three-day dialogue aimed at promoting peaceful co-existence and dealing with the negative perception and stereotypes to build trust and confidence among the civilians and military.
“This civil-military dialogue will pave the way for reconciliation, forgiveness, and peace. Peace comes from us in the community, not from our leaders,” Yeka said.
“The dialogue also resolved, among others, that the Lainya County Peace Committee be mandated to mediate peace talks between the hold-out groups and the government,” Yeka said.
However, the representative of the SSPDF, Edward Lado, who had returned from the refugee camp said he fled the area due to the 2013 conflict.
“I ran to a refugee camp in Uganda for my safety after realizing that the county was not safe for me after my disagreement with my fellow colleague John,” Ladu said.
The dialogue resolved that any wrongdoers such as thieves, once caught, should be handed over to local government administrators, chiefs, and/or army commanders to face justice.
Last week, Edward Ladu and John Maciek reconciled at a civil-military dialogue organized by the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) in Wuji Payam, Lainya.
However, Lainya Peace Committee member, Elioba Luko, said the civil-military dialogue urged the chiefs and military commanders to establish effective communication mechanisms to create good rrelationships between civilians and the army.
“There is a need for total forgiveness and reconciliation between the civilians and the army and to forget the past. This is the importance of conducting a dialogue,” Luko said.
Luko appealed to the organizers to ensure that all these resolutions passed in this dialogue should be disseminated to all the chiefs and other concerned authorities.
The dialogue urged the government should mandate the Lainya County Peace Committee to mediate peace talks between holdout groups and the government.
