Wrestling for Peace
Thousands of Yirol West and Yirol East County residents on Sunday thronged a wrestling competition between youths from the two counties held in Yirol West County.
Wrestlers compete during the peace promotion event in Yirol West County.[©Gurtong]
By Manyang Mayom
RUMBEK, 23 November 2010 (Gurtong) - The competition between pastoralist youth, students and businessmen was held in a bid to enhance unity between the neighbouring counties in Lakes State.
Relations between the two counties have remained frosty since the signing of Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in 2005.
There have been recurrent clashes between the twin counties over cattle rustling.
A spectator, John Manyang Maker told Gurtong that many wrestlers and fans turned up for the captivating competition.
“This confirms the seriousness with which the residents of the two counties have taken peace and tranquility”, he said.
This was the first time such an event was held between the two counties.
30/11/2010, 11:07 AM
- Posted by Malou gat Luiny Qut Quoy
This is a great experience now a long periods of tribal hatreds between the two communities since the inception of the 2005 peace and even a year behind the peace agreement. We are very glad that the two communities are now resuming their earlier pride in their cultural practices and their earlier ways of Live.
This shows that a durable peace is coming among the citizens and to Greator Yirol communities.
There is great need to now forget the experiences of the last five or six years and recall the early years of 2003 backwards because live used to be very good among the local communities. The Youth now have an alternative to fights and cattle raiding and the alternative will be full engagement in sports like wrestling, football and volleyball for those in the sub-rural towns.
What the government needs to do now is try hard to invest in sporting activities and use the security funds for organizing sporting activities.
In this case, I would like tto thank whoever has given his time and effeort to makee sure that this activities are encouraged as to give people easy interaction in sporting activities rather than in raids and fights. I would also like to give thanks to the Diocese of Rumbek who is also organizing such activities in areas like Mapuordit which the government is a bit reluctant to throw an eye during such occassions.
The Diocese has been Organising wonderful inter-schools competitions for the last years and is still working hard brining up things like marathon for referndum just twenty-one days ago. Last weekend, they organized another wrestling competition for the local people of Mapuordit to bring about peaceful co-existence among them. This was also a symbol for referendum preparation for the local people and it is now time to keep the cattle keepers nearer through inticing them with activities of such so that the referendum does not get them farther to their centres.