Western Equatoria State Governor Joseph Bangasi Bakosoro arrived in Juba early this morning with a group of elders mainly from his state to participate in a dialogue with elders from South Sudan’s other two regions of Upper Nile and Bahr el Ghazal.

Speaking to reporters on Monday upon his arrival at Juba Airport, Governor Bakosoro said that the elders will discuss about the current conflict that is going on in the country in orders to find a suitable solution to the problems in the country.

“This morning I brought some elders from Western Equatoria State to join the elders here so that we begin to talk among ourselves as elders of South Sudanese people together with elders from Greater Bahr el Ghazal and Upper Nile,” he said.

“We want to come and narrate our differences, so that we ask the government for suitable peace in the country,” Bakosoro said.

The inter-regional elders’ dialogue will run for two to three days in Juba, according to Governor Bakosoro.

Last month the Governor of Central Equatoria State Clement Wani Konga announced that they have selected six people, two from each state of greater Equatoria region to participate in a dialogue with peoples of Great Upper Nile and Greater Bahr el Ghazal to bring peaceful coexistence.

Bakosoro said that the meeting will be attended by some of other governors, but he did not disclose names and from which states in particular.  He noted that at the moment they will discuss among themselves and everybody will be involved at the end of the day.

Bakosoro was asked whether the issue of federalism will be part of the agenda. He replied saying, “No, that is a different scenario and if it comes in the agenda that will be a different thing among the elders.”

“We brought these elders so that we sit with the other elders from the other states together as one family, one state, one people and one nation” to discuss the problems at hand, he said.

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