Sarah and Nyamach Interrupt Cycle of Revenge Killing

A Pathway Towards Peaceful Co-Existence in Ulang

Revenge killing is one of the biggest protections risks in South Sudan and especially in Ulang County. The NP team in Ulang has been working with youth, women, and men, training and developing their capacities for peaceful coexistence, violence prevention and self-protection. Members of an NP-trained Women Protection Team (WPT) have been trained in conflict transformation, mediation, gender-based violence prevention and response, early warning and early response, and small arms and light weapons. These trainings have enabled members of the WPT to have a positive influence on and improve the protection of their communities.

Sarah Nyadoli Deng and Nyamach Buotbuot are two members of the Ulang WPT who, through their strong commitment for peacekeeping, made a positive impact on the culture of revenge killing.

“Revenge killing must stop and reconciliation brings peace.” - Sarah Nydoli Deng, WPT member in Ulang

One day, a young man was killed during an intra-communal fighting by an unknown person. Immediately after his death, Sarah and Nyamach visited the deceased’s family. Trained in conflict-sensitive and diplomatic communication, both women involved the head of the family in a discussion about the risk of revenge killing. They explained that revenge killings create a cycle that contribute to further violence among and within communities and suggested instead a nonviolent alternative to find reconciliation and to make peace with the perpetrator(s). After the conversations, the Chief agreed to start working with NP to lead discussions on peacebuilding with youth in order to find a way to end the cycle of revenge killing. 

After some time, brothers of the killed men heard rumors that the perpetrator had come to town and were consequently preparing an attack. Fortunately, their father (the Chief) was able to intervene on time and advised them to stop. The Chief explained to them that revenge killing will not be tolerated anymore as it is a vicious cycle and will never bring long-lasting peace in their communities. The Chief explained the conversation he had with the WPT members and that he had promised them that his son’s death would not be avenged, but rather compensated by cows. 

Thanks to Sarah’s and Nyamach’s peaceful dialogue with the Chief, he was able to save the lives of young innocent people and perhaps his sons too. The Chief has become a leading role-model as a peacemaker in Ulang, and has been participating in peace meetings facilitated by NP. He is now perpetuating the message that revenge killing is wrong, and is encouraging elders to prohibit their sons from engaging in this practice. Sarah, Nyamach, and other WPT members continue to spreading messages of peace to work towards a peaceful coexistence in their communities, as one member emphasized: 

“We do not want to see any violence and loss of lives anymore.“ - Nyamach Buotbuot, WPT member in Ulang