Steady in the storm: Seventh ICGS session in Juba
Four years on from the Pieri Agreement, the Inter-Communal Governance Structures (ICGS) process remains a vital, if at times fragile, platform for dialogue between the Dinka, Nuer and Murle communities. The Seventh ICGS session, held in Juba from July 1-3, did not seek to introduce new items, but rather revisited unresolved priorities: the return of abductees, the opening of key roads, and the establishment of an intercommunal boarding school.
The backdrop to this session was mixed. While overall incidents of intercommunal violence had decreased, recent attempted mobilisation by one community and sporadic attacks from another had eroded trust. Previous commitments—such as returning six abductees per county—had largely gone unfulfilled. Road openings had stalled due to internal issues, especially on the Murle side, while the boarding school had only advanced as far as a principled agreement.
Despite these challenges, the meeting began on a constructive note. On the eve of the session, ‘The Meeting’ - a film tracing the history of the Pieri peace process - was premiered in Juba, after a first screening several weeks earlier in Melbourne. Over 200 people attended, including community leaders of the ICGS, donors and public. It served as both a reminder of what had been achieved and a signal of continued commitment to peace.
The opening session of the ICGS itsef acknowledged areas of progress: notably, a decline in violent incidents and developments on the economic front. A cattle trading initiative is showing promise, and peace farms in Dinka Bor are now engaging over 400 youth, with a view to expanding to the Murle side next season.
But optimism was tempered by reality. Discussions on abductee returns quickly reached an impasse, with participants falling back into blame and justifications. There was widespread frustration that meaningful progress had stalled. Rather than force through another hollow commitment, the issue was tactfully deferred. In the end, the communique included only a modest reference—partners refused to endorse further vague promises that had no credible path to delivery.
The conversation then turned to road access. Here, the mood was more constructive. The primary barriers were logistical, and the community youth—already well-versed in the practical challenges—helped shape a plan to improve resilience and accountability in implementation.
Momentum also carried through to the boarding school proposal. Commissioners and community leaders developed a more detailed vision for the initiative, building on the earlier in-principle agreement. A dedicated committee will now take this forward, with hopes of launching at least a pilot.
Importantly, this session benefited from the use of professional interpretation equipment—available in Juba (for hire from Uganda) but not yet feasible in the field. This enabled a much smoother dialogue across communities and is now being explored for future meetings outside the capital. The entire event was also livestreamed via facebook, with observers joining via starlink from remote GPAA as well as from other countries.
As the session concluded, participants recognised that while much remains unresolved, the forum itself continues to serve a critical purpose. With the RSRTF now approaching an endpoint, and the sectonr tightening overall, responsibility increasingly shifts to communities, local government and partners to sustain the momentum. The path forward is not easy—but it remains open.
This blog was drafted based on audio notes of the author, with the support of AI.
