South Sudan's Bor and Greater Pibor are shown on a map. The two regions' leaders are debating how to reopen the trade routes. After closing them for a year, Bor County, Jonglei State, and Gumuruk County communities in the Greater Pibor Administrative Area are considering reopening trade routes.
After a violent intercommunal conflict, the two communities' trading routes were shut down in 2021. The communities decided at the end of the two-day workshop in Juba, which included about 20 participants.
Leaders of Bor and Pibor are in talks to reopen essential trade routes.
To discuss ways to end kidnappings of children and cattle rustling, the group also included representatives for women, youth leaders, and chiefs from Bor and Gumuruk.
Gulech Wau Ole, the Gumuruk Paramount Chief, promised to speak with the youth to end attacks and resume trade in an interview with The City Review yesterday.
"For us in Gumuruk, we are determined to support and work with Bor to put an end to the conflict and ensure that our youth can trade freely without fear," Gulech said about the need to reopen the trade routes.
Gulech pledged to put down weapons along the trade routes and sternly warned any thieves who dared to obstruct the transport routes. He claimed that the well-known Anyidi business district had become a ghost market due to the trade routes' closure.
He nevertheless desired his chief from Bor to do the same. He declared, "I'm going to talk to the youth so that they avoid all kinds of conflict."
Gumuruk, he said, was prepared to talk with all neighboring communities to settle differences and start a new chapter.
He promised to cooperate with his government and authorities to keep his people at peace and maintain their unity with their neighbors. Wal Mach Madol, one of the chiefs from Bor County, stressed the importance of youth in bringing peace and noted that young people start most conflicts.
Khamis Samuel Baba, a leader of the Gumuruk youth, emphasized the significance of reopening the trade routes connecting the two communities to increase trade and human movement.
For this to be implemented, according to Khamis, we need to reopen the routes that connect us. "We must monitor this to stop anyone from disrupting [the peace] and support [this] to open the roads.
He said we don't want anyone to reintroduce unease to the highway.
