A window of opportunity in Greater Rumbek

Although the conversation on cattle migration typically a male-dominated one, this year’s Dinka Agar internal cattle migration conference provided a platform both for women’s representation, and also the voices of young women who have an agenda for their community in this part of the country.

Although the conversation on cattle migration typically a male-dominated one, this year’s conference provided a platform both for women’s representation, and also the voices of young women who have an agenda for their community in this part of the country. The girls were invited speak at the opening, but with the exams coinciding, instead they opted to prepare this detailed banner in advance. The four-metre wide banner included prescriptions for government, peace makers, intellectuals, gelweng, chiefs, women/girls, and spearmasters. Overall, it presented a comprehensive set of headlines for a peacebuilding and development plan in the Dinka Agar community.

Building on the progress of the first internal cattle migration conference in November 2020, as well as the system of gelweng-led akut de door (grassroots peace committees), and seizing the opportunity presented by an improvement in overall security under the current Governor, the atmosphere in Rumbek has shifted to a noticeably more positive tone.

Since the first internal cattle migration conference, there has been a return of over 2,500 cattle, 66 blood compensation settlements, and 34 visits of teams to aggrieved families. Alongside this progress, there have been other activities supporting the voice of women, including a women’s peace caravan that moved through the rural areas of the Greater Rumbek to hear specifically from the concerns of women.

The role of women in peace is emerging as a more prominent thread of the conversation. It is not a naïve interrogation of their role, but one that looks at the ways women have contributed to conflict, as well as their critical role in supporting an ongoing peace. Speaking separately with the women representatives at the migration conference, the theme of trauma comes out strongly. It is a general current of the social landscape, and felt acutely in many rural areas particularly. In one village the women’s caravan visited, 35 out of 55 women were widows. The social isolation, indignity and despair this can lead to is profound.

As the process moves forward, women leaders identify the need for a narrative of hope – particularly, but not only for women. Whilst the current security situation provides breathing space for the communities in what had become seemingly endless cycles of violence, there needs to be fresh energy injected – in terms of intra-communal exchange, psycho-social programs, livelihoods and education – so that it can be sustained. Since 2019, there has been relatively less attention among donors in the Rumbek area. There may be a window now for donors to explore how the current dynamics can be leveraged for peace.

Meanwhile, the migration is under way and will be monitored by a joint government and community monitoring committee, established by the conference.

The internal migration conference was supported by CAFOD and Trócaire in Partnership (CTP), the Peacebuilding Opportunities Fund (POF) and UNMISS Rumbek.

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