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STORY: SOUTH SUDAN / TAMBURA PEACE CONCERT
TRT: 03:59
SOURCE: UNMISS
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ARABIC / ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 28 JUNE 2024, TAMBURA, SOUTH SUDAN
1.Various shots, South Sudanese traditional dancers and local artist performing.
2.SOUNDBITE (English) Bucha Rasta, Singer:
“My message was very loud to the people because for a long time there has been no peace. So [that is why] I asked them why we don’t have a tifagia [agreement]? There is no tifagia [agreement] between us, that is the reason. As we can see in the county [Tambura], we have three camps [for internally displaced persons], which is not good. In your own country how can you be a refugee [displaced person]?
3.Various shots, South Sudanese traditional dancers performing.
4.SOUNDBITE(Arabic) Aidah Kazima, Resident of Tambura:
“We need peace in Tambura town because nobody can stay alone. People need to stay together. Look at our children, they lack education, they lack everything, after all of us who will rule this country without education.”
5.Various shots, UNMISS and local authorities holding hands as a symbol of peace.
6.SOUNDBITE (Azande) James Severino, State Minister of Local Government, Law, and Enforcement:
“The state government is taking the issue of peace seriously. This time, the State government wants peace in this place. If you want or you don’t want, we need peace in this place. There are people who don’t want peace and we know all of you. We know all of them by their names and the government will act against them. We must bring peace.”
7.Various shots, UN and Government officials attending the peace concert.
8.SOUNDBITE (English) Emmanuel Dukundane, UNMISS Acting Head of Field Office Yambio.
“We call upon you, even if you are grieved, we know what happened, but we need to start a journey of peace and reconciliation. We need to leave what happened behind and we leave the government to take care of those things, or those issues and we embrace peace, we forgive each other. We reconcile so that we can go to farm, so that our children can go to schools, so that hospitals can open, and we work normally. This is a journey we need to work together and achieve peace as the communities of Tambura. UNMISS will keep with you together and the objective is to make sure that we have sustainable peace.”
9.Various shots, local citizens attending the peace concert
The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), in collaboration with local authorities, organized a peace concert in Tambura, Western Equatoria to promote reconciliation and peaceful coexistence following an outbreak of intercommunal conflict in April 2024.
Thousands of community members, internally displaced people, participated and expressed their optimism that further conflict can be prevented by communities working together. As the rhythm of the traditional drums and music echoed through the Freedom Square, those attending expressed optimism and hope that sustainable peace will be achieved in Tambura and across the country.
The rhythm of drums, frenetic dancing, and joyous singing rang out across Tambura’s Freedom Square during a massive peace concert hosted by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan.
One of the top features was South Sudanese performer and celebrity Bucha Rasta, who has a huge following across the country. On this occasion, he lent his voice to the peace movement in Tambura, a town in Western Equatoria, singing about reconciliation, unity and nation-building in the conflict-affected area.
SOUNDBITE (English) Bucha Rasta, South Sudanese performer:
“My message was very loud to the people because for long time there has been no peace. So [that is why] I asked them why we don’t have a tifagia [agreement]? There is no tifagia [agreement] between us/. That is the reason. As we can see in the county, we have three camps which is not good. In your country, how can you be a refugee [displaced person] that is the reason I gave [through] my songs as encouragement to the people.”
Many women were forced to flee the violence that erupted in 2021, and again in April this year, and are now living in displacement camps surviving on humanitarian aid. For them, peace is a priority so that their families can live without fear.
SOUNDBITE(Arabic) Aidah Kazima, Resident of Tambura:
“We need peace in Tambura town because nobody can stay alone, people need to stay together. Look at our children, they lack education, they lack everything, after all of us who will rule this country without education.”
A Government official at the event stressed his commitment to promoting peaceful coexistence and reconciliation in the area.
SOUNDBITE (Azande) James Severino, State Minister of Local Government, Law and Enforcement:
“The State Government is taking the issue of peace seriously. This time, the State Government wants peace in this place. If you want or you don’t want, we need peace in this place. There are people who don’t want peace and we know all of you. We know all of them by their names and the government will act against them. We must bring peace.”
For UNMISS, the event has been a priority since conflict broke out, but there have been many delays in bringing the communities together due to persistent tensions. The aim is to create an environment where participants can remember how much they have in common, rather than being driven to violence as a way of resolving differences and grievances.
SOUNDBITE (English): Emmanuel Dukundane, UNMISS Acting Head of Field Office Yambio.
“We call upon you, even if you are grieved, we know what happened, but we need to start a journey of peace and reconciliation. We need to leave what happened behind and we leave the Government to take care of those things, or those issues and we embrace peace, we forgive each other, we reconcile so that we can go to our farms, so that our children can go to schools, so that hospitals can open, and we work normally. This is a journey. We need to work together and achieve peace as the communities of Tambura. UNMISS will keep with you together and the objective is to make sure that we have sustainable peace.”
The concert is just one of many activities that UNMISS has been conducting in partnership with local authorities and communities across Tambura to promote reconciliation, prevent conflict, and ensure that peace prevails.
