By Deng Ghai Deng
JUBA, South Sudan — The Executive Director of INTREPID South Sudan, Bol Deng Bol, has welcomed a historic peace agreement brokered between the Hol community of Duk County and the Ayual community of Twic East County, bringing an end to a deadly two-year conflict in Jonglei State.
In a statement issued following the announcement, Mr. Bol praised the Jonglei State Government and local communities for finally choosing dialogue over violence, calling the decision “better late than never.”
“On behalf of INTREPID South Sudan, I would like to welcome the decision of the State Government to finally accept to initiate a peaceful settlement of the two-year-long deadly conflict,” said Mr. Bol. “We urge the two communities to abide by the modalities agreed upon and pursue this path without deviation.”
The peace breakthrough was reached during a high-level consultative dialogue held from September 12 to 14, 2025, at the Juba Regency Hotel. The forum, spearheaded by Jonglei State Governor Dr. Riek Gai Kok, concluded with the signing of a six-point communiqué focused on ending hostilities, resolving long-standing land disputes, and promoting peaceful coexistence.
Governor Kok commended the involved parties for their “courage and foresight” and reiterated the government’s full backing in implementing the communiqué and mediating boundary issues.
The meeting was chaired by Hon. Mabiel Gideon Dau and included key stakeholders such as state officials, members of parliament, youth and women leaders, traditional authorities, and observers from neighboring counties — signaling a unified commitment to lasting peace.
The deadly conflict, which began in October 2023, had claimed numerous lives and extended to include the Adhiok community. It is widely believed to have been sparked by the unresolved killing of a prominent local wrestler, Deng Dau, also known as Deng-Moradong, allegedly by youth from Duk County.
For years, INTREPID South Sudan has championed non-violent solutions to intercommunal conflicts and consistently urged the government to take more proactive measures.
“The Government must fulfill not only its commitments in the signed protocols but also its responsibility to safeguard lives and promote peaceful coexistence,” Mr. Bol emphasized.
With both Hol and Ayual communities now pledging to uphold the peace deal in good faith, there is renewed hope that Jonglei State is on the path to healing, reconciliation, and sustainable development.