When Peace Walks: February 2026 Road Openings Mission

Nuer community on the unsuccessful road openings mission, August 2025

The road opening initiative and why roads matter

In February 2026, communities across Jonglei and the Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA) will begin efforts to reopen the roads linking their areas to one another.

In these fragile and conflict-affected settings, roads are never merely infrastructure. They are lifelines for trade, access to services, and relationships between communities. When roads are blocked, communities become isolated physically, socially, and economically. Markets decline, rumours spread unchecked and, over time, disconnection hardens into mistrust and division.

For the Dinka, Nuer and Murle communities in Jonglei and GPAA, reopening key road corridors has repeatedly emerged as a practical, vital, and symbolic peacebuilding priority. This call dates back to the 2021 Pieri Peace Process, as well as subsequent intercommunal peace engagements involving chiefs, cattle camp youth leaders, women, and local authorities from these three communities.

Road opening is not simply about clearing physical pathways. It is about restoring safe movement, rebuilding relationships, reducing cycles of revenge and cattle raiding, and enabling communities to reconnect and strengthen dialogue.

This process often involves days of walking along the routes linking communities to one another. White flags will be placed along the routes, and peace messages and commitments will be shared in the villages along the way. Armed youth leaders, women, chiefs, and local authorities from the three communities will be part of the delegation.

The act of walking together becomes a public declaration: we are not at war this season.

The routes the two groups will take to link the communities together

Why does POF support this and why does it matter?

POF’s approach is centred on responding to priorities identified and driven by communities themselves, and road opening is one such priority. It also builds on the efforts and progress of the Pieri Peace Agreement, which has anchored peace efforts between these communities since 2021.

This is not the first effort to reopen these corridors.

Earlier attempts were undertaken with strong community mobilisation. However, some efforts were hindered by seasonal flooding, difficult terrain, and insecurity in surrounding areas. Importantly, these setbacks did not diminish community commitment. Instead, they generated important lessons to guide future road opening activities, particularly regarding timing and coordination.

The continued demand for road reopening, despite previous obstacles, reflects the depth of local commitment and a shift from externally facilitated meetings towards community-owned practice, fostering a habit of cooperation and peaceful approaches to conflict even in the face of challenges.

Hope and commitments in the face of security challenges in Northern Jonglei

Unfortunately, road openings along the Murle–Nuer corridors cannot proceed at this time due to the security dynamics in northern Jonglei. However, some Lou Nuer cattle camp leaders have publicly committed to joining Dinka and Murle youth in advancing the initiative and supporting its wider success.

This gesture of solidarity highlights young people’s commitment to taking ownership of the peace process, as well as the growing strength of relationships and the shared desire for peace leadership emerging among youth from these three communities.

When communities choose to reconnect, they are not simply reopening roads; they are laying the foundations for lasting peace.

This article was written in collaboration with AI.