Peace of the Nuer
The peace-making attempts of prophets have not just extended to the urban centres of the PoCs. They have also extended to attempts to make peace between government and SPLA-IO forces. Prophetess Nyachol has continued to pursue her political agenda of Nuer unity. While she has opposed the government, she has also adamantly opposed the political and military divisions between the Nuer in Unity State.
In 2017, the government forces controlled Rubkany – a market town in Mayendit on the road from Bentiu to Ler. The villages and grazing lands nearby were controlled by SPLA-IO forces. Nyachol invited both commissioners to visit her at the same time. Neither felt they could refuse her. In this way, she tricked the two commissioners into meeting and demanded that they make peace. Both were able to escape this demand by saying that they needed high levels of permission for such peace-making. Yet, Nyachol challenged their implicit claims to decide when war and peace should be conducted. There have been various incidences since, when, without the attention of higher authorities, the government and SPLA-IO in Mayendit have cooperated to prevent the escalation of violence.