Ngok-Twic Conflict: President Salva Kiir, Francis Deng, and Bona Malwal Call for an End to Violence

By Dr. Luka Biong Deng

After nearly two years of violent conflict between the Ngok and Twic communities, which has resulted in the loss of innocent lives and the destruction of livelihoods, President Salva Kiir issued the long-awaited and appreciated Presidential Orders on January 16, 2024. These orders call for an immediate cessation of hostilities between the Ngok and Twic communities, as well as the Marial-Lou and Apuk communities. They also call for the deployment of neutral forces to the conflict-affected areas in order to restore law and order. Additionally, the orders emphasize the need for dialogue among the sisterly communities, the suspension of claims related to land, borders, and boundaries in the affected areas, and the postponement of any questioning of the Abyei Box. The swift implementation of these orders is crucial for restoring peace and the rule of law in these conflict-affected areas.

In support of these Presidential Orders, the esteemed elders of the Ngok and Twic communities, Dr. Francis Deng and Mr. Bona Malwal, issued separate statements appealing to their respective communities to end the violence. 

Mr. Charles Adler, the US Ambassador to South Sudan, commended these leaders and encouraged them to provide moral guidance to their communities in order to achieve peace through dialogue and restore peaceful coexistence. 

We appreciate the statements made by our elders, Dr. Francis Deng and Mr. Bona Malwal, and urge them to continue supporting the efforts of President Salva and his government in implementing these orders and restoring peace and the rule of law in the conflict-affected areas.

The increase in communal conflicts over land, borders, and boundaries is a result of the ambiguity or lack of a clear land policy, as well as the absence of mechanisms and institutions for resolving communal boundary disputes. We commend President Salva Kiir for his leadership and commitment to ending communal conflicts throughout the country through communal dialogue and addressing the root causes of the surge in violence related to land, borders, and boundaries.