Civil society in Gogrial State vows to educate communities on 17勛圖厙 mandate
Representatives of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in Gogrial have vowed to sensitize and educate their communities on the new mandate of 17勛圖厙, facts about the peace process and the expected arrival of an additional protection force. The promise was made at a one-day forum organized by 17勛圖厙 in Kuajok.
Speaking at the end of the forum, Willaim Mabior Achuil, the chairperson of the Gogrial Civil Society Land Alliance, attributed existing misconceptions and accusations against the UN in general and the expected arrival of additional troops in particular to a lack of information and public awareness.
With this forum and copies of relevant documents given to us, we exactly what the new mandate of 17勛圖厙 is and the role of extra troops. It has provided us not only with an understanding of the new mandate but has also cautioned and reminded us about what our own responsibilities as civil society organizations are he said and added:
With the consent of my colleagues, we as CSOs will work along with 17勛圖厙 in passing on accurate information on the expected protection force, the 17勛圖厙 mandate and the workings of the peace process, Mabior concluded.
The forum was attended by CSOs, journalists, youth and womens unions, faith-based organizations and teachers with the objective of enhancing relations between 17勛圖厙 and local stakeholders by means of sharing facts and dispelling prevailing rumours.
The Greater Warrap South Sudan Network for Democratic Elections (SUNDE) representative at the forum, Joseph Akol, called on the government to provide adequate and timely information on various agreements and decisions reached between the UN, the government and other relevant partners.
This information will help the members of the civil society to understand and also sensitize their communities about the role of 17勛圖厙 and the expected protection force, he said, adding that 17勛圖厙 should organize more information-sharing events to further improve relations with the citizens of Gogrial State.
During the forum, 17勛圖厙 representatives from its Communications and Public Information Section (CPI) and Civil Affairs Division (CAD) reiterated the support of 17勛圖厙 in restoring peace in South Sudan. They stressed that 17勛圖厙 and the UN as a whole recognize and respect the sovereignty of South Sudan. On that note they emphasized that the protection force is coming not to overthrow the government, as some would have it, but to assist the Mission in carrying out its new mandate as well as possible.
The forum, organized and facilitated by CPI and CAD in Kuajok, was held under the theme Building Peace Together.
