Gov’t urges armed groups operating in Western Equatoria to lay down guns

YAMBIO – The government of South Sudan’s Western Equatoria State (WES) has issued a call for all armed groups operating within the state to abandon violence, lay down their weapons, and participate in peace talks aimed at achieving stability and reconciliation.

Speaking at the launch of the Azande Kingdom’s first Cultural Festival in Yambio on Saturday, Deputy Governor and Acting Governor Joseph Marona urged armed factions to cease attacks on government forces, stop displacing civilians, and end the insecurity they are creating across the state.

Marona emphasized that the call for peace was a genuine appeal for the sake of suffering civilians in areas like Nagero and Kediba, but not a sign of military weakness.

“This call does not mean that we fear or cannot fight. But we are calling for peace because innocent civilians in areas like Nagero and Kediba are suffering from incidents they do not understand. We are giving you a chance to silence the guns for the sake of peace,” he said.

Marona, who represents the SPLM-IO’s breakaway faction under peacebuilding minister Stephen Phar Kuol, stressed that the state leadership, under President Salva Kiir Mayardit and Governor James Al-Taib, has been directed to prioritize the restoration of peace, maintenance of security, and rebuilding of the state’s social fabric.

He cautioned that violence leads only to regret and destruction, citing the ongoing conflict in Gaza as an example to avoid.

“Let us learn from what happened in Gaza, where people destroyed everything and are now regretting. Peace is the only way forward,” he stressed.

The Azande Kingdom Cultural Festival, held at Yambio Freedom Square on October 10–11, 2025, under the patronage of His Majesty King Atoroba Peni Rikito Gbudue, was themed “Celebrating Our Unity Through Cultural Diversity” and aimed to promote peaceful coexistence and unity among WES’s diverse communities.

Also speaking at the event, Dr. Mande Daniel, Program Coordinator for the Whitaker Peace and Development Initiative (WPDI) in WES, highlighted the critical importance of reconciliation.

“Tribal divisions cannot take us anywhere. We should learn from the 1994 Rwandan genocide and avoid hatred. We are all South Sudanese — Whitaker is ready to support peace and unity among our people,” he said.

Meanwhile, Sebit Anglo Obebe, the Minister for Other Tribes in the Azande Kingdom, commended the existing harmony among the state’s ethnic communities and encouraged continued collaboration through cultural exchange and dialogue.

The festival’s organizing committee stated that the cultural gala serves as a platform for communities across Western Equatoria to showcase their traditional music, dances, and crafts while strengthening inter-community relations and promoting peacebuilding.