South Sudan’s First Vice President Doctor Riek Machar has called on IDPs to end intercommunal conflicts among themselves in camps and plan for their return home.
This came during peace prayers held on Sunday to preach peace to political and church leaders to the displaced persons.
The prayers were organized under the theme, “Come Together for a Peaceful South Sudan”. More than fifty thousand (50,000) Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and senior government officials attended the event.
He asked the IDPs to embrace Peace, Reconciliation, and Forgiveness to enable the country to move away from its troubled past and open a new chapter of peaceful coexistence and prosperity.
Machar highlighted the progress on the implementation of the revitalized peace agreement saying parties are working on the complete unification of forces to pave the way for the safe return of displaced persons.
He says the unity government is working on a democratic process to elect the future leaders of South Sudan in a free and fair election in December 2024.
He appreciated IDPs for enduring the situation in the Protection of Civilians site (POC) for ten years.
The First Vice President also donated 110 Million SSP, an equivalent of 137,000 US dollars to the various leadership structures and cultural groups at Juba Internally Displaced Person Camps.
Dr. Machar says the money is directed to support chiefs, youth, women, and cultural groups to support their activities in the camps.
The Minister for Presidential Affairs, Doctor Barnaba Marial Benjamin called on the IDPs to voluntarily return to their areas of origin or resettle in Juba in the areas.
Dr. Marial reiterated that the government will provide land to the resettled IDPs as directed by the President during the recent meeting with displaced persons in Juba.
The representatives of the Internally Displaced Persons who spoke at the ceremony reaffirmed their full support and commitment to the implementation.
They say the environment is not yet conducive for their return and asked the government to provide security, basic service, and a place to stay so that IDPs feel safe. The First vice President was meeting displaced persons for the first time since conflict broke out in 2013.
President Salva Kiir also appealed to the IDPs and refugees to return to their respective areas of origin during his meeting with displaced persons in Juba last week.