RJMEC Chair on high-level delegation trip to Greater Pibor Administrative Area, plus joint statement
A high-level delegation took a trip to Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA) took place yesterday, 1 June 2021. RJMEC Chair Maj Gen Charles Tai Gituai travelled along with the Head of African Union Mission, Professor Joram Biswaro, IGAD Special Envoy for South Sudan, Dr Ismail Wais, UNMISS SRSG Nicholas Haysom and DSRSG Guang Cong, and esteemed members of the African Diplomatic Corps from the region, including Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and Uganda, as well as from the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.
The joint statement is available here: https://unmiss.unmissions.org/joint-statement-aumiss-igad-r-jmec-adc-and-unmiss-situation-pibor
Hosted by GPAA Chief Administrator General Joshua Konyi Irer, the delegation heard from paramount chiefs, women’s groups, youth groups and religious leaders to better understand to situation and development needs in Administrative Area.
RJMEC Chair Gen Gituai told the gathered dignitaries and communities: “Peace can only be there if the leadership at the lowest level, at the grassroots, is able to ensure there is peace. So I would urge you General Konyi, as the commander here, to ensure you use all your knowledge to reach out and be magnanimous and reach those other communities.”
He continued: “So I would urge you General, as the commander here, to ensure you use all your knowledge to reach out and be magnanimous and reach those other communities.”
Gen Gituai concluded: “We (RJMEC) shall note that there is need for peace in this region, this will be our message: we need to think about peace, turn the page and move forward.”
Photos of the trip available here: https://www.flickr.com/gp/189780858@N05/6y47mB (Free to use (Credit: RJMEC)
