Building capacities, building peace: New members of Jonglei State Transitional Legislative Assembly trained on effective representation – African Business

A workshop facilitated by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) provided an opportunity for 100 new parliamentarians of the Transitional State Legislative Assembly to benefit from an interactive workshop.

The purpose of the workshop is to raise awareness, enhance their understanding of parliamentary process and enable them fully to contribute to shaping a peaceful, prosperous tomorrow for all communities.

Facilitated by the UN Peacekeeping mission’s Civil Affairs Division in partnership with the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) was the first-ever such forum and drew spirited participation.

“It has been enlightening and thought provoking,” said Apotho Ojullo Oketh, Jonglei parliament’s Acting Speaker.

“We went through the provisions of the Peace Agreement and are now clear on how all of us can pave the way for lasting peace and prosperity for future generations,” he added.

Before civil war broke out there were only 49 members of parliament in the Jonglei area. Ten of these 49 parliamentarians were dispersed after the Greater Pibor Administrative Area was created in 2014.

After the 2018 signing of the peace agreement, which led to a decrease in violence and a transitional administration of national unity in 2018, 61 more members were added to the parliament.

Many of these new members were not properly orientated to the political spectrum.

UNMISS decided to organize such training activities in order to assist new parliamentarians in representing their constituents and brokering a lasting peace.

“This workshop has definitely finetuned our approach to affairs of state,” said Tuong Majok Deng, an MP from Fangak county.

“We have a broad mandate when it comes to resolving challenges that community members face and upholding the rule of law. Coming together and sharing experiences makes the entire undertaking simpler,” he continued.

Mr. Deng’s words are echoed by Hellena Akech Marial, an MP representing Twic East.

“My experiences have taught me that no matter what political party we are affiliated with, we have a collective responsibility to foster social cohesion and not division. We must inculcate unity of purpose if we are to shape a brighter future for South Sudan,” she stated passionately.

We discussed the challenges as well as the best ways forward to accomplish our duties.

“As members of the state assembly, we must be united among ourselves if we are to educate our constituents in a culture of peace. The notion of citizenship and a shared national identity must first be embraced by us and only then, can we expect the people we serve to emulate us,” averred Buol Lual, an MP from Bor.

Geetha Pusic, Head of UNMISS Field Office Jonglei assured parliamentarians that she will continue to facilitate productive exchanges.

“This training is to build your abilities to effectively represent your constituents,” said Ms. Pious. “As UNMISS, we will support you every step of the way as you move Jonglei towards progress and development.”

Distributed by APO Group, United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).