Rose Adau, who represents Aweng Payam of Twic County in the National Assembly, said the two communities should prepare their respective files with evidences and allow the court to determine ownership of the disputed land.
She said the legal process could take about seven months before a decision is reached on whether the land belongs to Twic or Ngok.
“The land is not going anywhere because it is an immovable asset,” Rose Adau said, contrasting land with cattle, which she described as movable assets that can be sold, transferred or given as dowry and may become difficult to trace.
She also appealed to young people from both communities to stop fighting and avoid further loss of life.
“The young people who have been lost since the beginning of this conflict cannot simply be replaced,” she said, stressing that rebuilding lives and communities takes time.
Rose Adau said the dispute over a relatively small area of land should not cost more lives and called on Twic and Ngok to pursue peace.
The lawmaker has faced pressure over her position on the dispute because of her close ties to both communities. She has maintained a neutral stance, including skipping press conferences and declining to sign letters during briefing in the past held by fellow Twic lawmakers.
Rose Adau made the remarks at a funeral service in Juba on Saturday, where the ongoing conflict between Twic and Ngok took a centre stage.
