By Garang John Juma
For decades, inter-communal conflicts fueled by cattle raids and revenge attacks turned Tonj North County into one of Warrap State’s most volatile corners.
Yet, amid the echoes of gunfire and grief, a single word, Kongkoc, meaning “Wait first”, emerged as a symbol of restraint and dialogue.
That word would later inspire Kongkoc Radio, a community-run station whose peace programs have helped transform a culture of violence into one of conversation.
“We will go with you, you will not leave us behind if you decide to go for a revenge attack against our neighbors this time round,” said a group of women from Tonj North
Flashing twigs and singing anti-war songs, forty women took to the streets of Warrap town one Monday to express their anguish, frustration, and anger at their husbands, who had become perennial cattle raiders, a practice blamed for unending inter-communal conflicts in the Greater Tonj counties.
The women vehemently cursed any attempts by their spouses to mount counterraids against their traditional neighbors, communities with whom they had coexisted for generations, saying that the outdated practice had claimed the lives of many men over the years.
Many of these women revealed that they had become widows, their children orphaned by the raging inter-communal conflicts that had taken their husbands’ lives, yet despite their pleas, most men were initially reluctant to abandon cattle raids.
Tonj North, a remote settlement in Warrap State, lies 80 kilometers south of Kuajok and 90 miles northeast of Wau, the headquarters of Western Bahr el Ghazal State.
Residents in the area maintained that Warrap town should have been gazetted as the state headquarters due to its central and strategic location.
The Greater Tonj and Gogrial counties are primarily inhabited by the Dinka community, neighboring the Luo in Jur River County of Western Bahr el Ghazal.
Memories of conflict still fresh
The deadly 2006 inter-communal conflict, which claimed more than 200 lives during a botched cattle raid, remains vividly etched in local memory.
Mary Ayur Mathuc, 26, from Awul village in Tonj North County, recalled the horrors of those raids.
Mary Ayur Mathuc at her tea place in Warrap market. [Photo: Courtesy].
Seated on a blue plastic chair outside her tea kiosk in Warrap market, the tall mother of six, now a peace advocate and loyal radio listener, recounts the trauma.
“It was a horrible, movie-like scene to talk about; many lives were lost. It is more traumatizing to see bodies lying down because of communal conflicts. In fact, no life should be lost because of inter-communal conflicts. People should learn to dialogue for the sake of peace,” she said.
She added, “My brother, people were butchered during a cattle raid-fueled conflict in 2023. It was so bad seeing the body of a neighbor decomposing in the thicket. People were butchered, and such memories are still very fresh in my mind.”
Mary explained that the fighting had engulfed Awul, Rual Bet, and Kiirak-Awul, fueled by misinformation and hate speech.
Rumors spread, suggesting that communities were mobilizing youths for counterattacks, which escalated the violence.
Birth of Kongkoc radio
Marco Madut Garang, founder and Executive Director of The Organization for Children’s Harmony (TOCH), said previous raids were worsened by the lack of communication.
“People simply believed in what anyone spread around. Remember, we have the largest swampy area stretching from Bentiu in Unity State, Warrap, all the way into Lakes States. This is called the Wuldit Triangle,” he said.
According to Marco, inter-communal conflicts were often triggered by two main factors: shortages of pasture and water.
During dry seasons, the Dinka, who are predominantly cattle keepers, would migrate in search of grazing land, often trespassing into Luo farmlands.
The Luo, mostly farmers, jealously protected their farmland, leading to violent confrontations.
Over time, these deadly fights escalated ethnic tensions to unprecedented levels, creating deep divisions between neighboring communities.
However, in response, local elders and chiefs decided to intervene and introduced the Dinka word “Kongkoc,” meaning “Wait first,” as a call for calm and dialogue during disputes.
The word spread quickly and became a key term during peace meetings and community dialogues.
Marco Madut, the E.D of TOCH and founder of Kongkoc Radio, during the interview. [Photo: Garang John].
“Remember, we had no mobile phones; people relied on every rumor flying around, and we had to find a way of countering misinformation and hate speech to protect lives,” he explained.
Determined to find a lasting solution, Marco approached the United Nations and USAID between 2013 and 2014 to establish a community radio station in Tonj. The Multi-Donor Trust Fund eventually supported the initiative, leading to the creation of Kongkoc Radio, a station dedicated to peace messaging and community education.
With the blessing of Paramount Chief Ayii Agu, the radio station was immediately embraced by residents, who also donated land for its construction.
The station’s programming deliberately avoided politics, focusing instead on peace, dialogue, and social awareness.
“Our programmes have voices of the local youth, women, community leaders, and representatives of the religious sector,” Marco said.
A voice for peace and reconciliation
Today, Kongkoc Radio is credited with remarkable success in Tonj North.
Thomas Mathop Madut, Tonj North Peace Coordinator, during the interview. [Photo: Courtesy].
“With Kongkoc, life became easier, especially because the station broadcasts peace messages in our local dialects. Today, we don’t have to send anyone to Rual Bai, Akop, Acebek, Marial Lou, and Kimkpaya; Kongkoc does it for us,” he emphasized.
Lino Lual, Kongkoc’s Station Manager, noted that in 2024, several herds of cattle were stolen from Tonj North.
He narrated that, “when the information was broadcast on Kongkoc Radio, security apparatus swung into action and recovered them before handing them back to the owners. The culprits were also apprehended.”
Community reborn
For 24-year-old Laang Amol, a single mother and avid listener, the station has been a rebirth for the community.
“Today, the radio continues to educate us on several issues, including how to prevent gender-based violence, how to live in harmony with our neighbors, and other health issues,” she said.
Meanwhile, Akuch Dhiew, Tonj North’s youth leader, highlighted the radio’s role in fostering interaction across counties.
Youth leader Akuch Dhiew with journalist Garang John during the interview. [Photo: Courtesy].
Nevertheless, Gabriel Makuek, Acting Executive Director at the County Ministry of Information, stated that the radio’s strategic location helps the community feel ownership and connection to its mission.
“Kongkoc Radio is credited with the return of peace in Marial Lou. Its strategic location ensures that community members feel ownership and recognize its role in promoting peace,” he said.
Challenges remain
Madut cautions that while guns have gone silent in Tonj North, other areas remain affected because the radio signal does not reach certain regions.
From peace education and cattle recovery to community cohesion and youth engagement, Kongkoc Radio has proven to be a lifeline for the Greater Tonj region.
It has turned the airwaves into tools of peace, broadcasting messages of understanding and reconciliation, ensuring that the once-repeated cycle of bloodshed may finally end.