Dec. 22 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The United Nations has expressed its “deep concern” over the calls for the mobilization of members of the Nuer community in Gran Jonglei and has warned that it could lead to “massive attacks” against the population in this area of South Sudan.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has said in a statement that “these mobilizations have the potential to unleash violent attacks that seriously impact civil society” and has said that “any upsurge in the conflict would undermine progress towards peace achieved by contacts between leaders of Jonglei State and Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA)”.
“The mission appreciates the proactive contacts of the Government of South Sudan with youth leaders involved to reduce hostilities and restore calm,” he said, before stressing that “the primary responsibility for protecting civilians falls on the Government.”
In this regard, he noted that “UNMISS continues to deploy all available resources and makes every possible effort to guarantee the safety of the affected populations” and recalled that “similar incidents in the past have resulted in the loss of life, the kidnapping of women and children, the displacement of thousands of civilians and the destruction of property”.
For this reason, it has called on leaders of the Nuer and Murle communities to “exercise a positive and constructive influence on young people, encouraging them to start a dialogue and avoid the use of violence as a means to resolve differences.”
The UN mission has also asked community leaders to “guarantee the release of previously kidnapped women and children and that looted cattle be returned to promote reconciliation and respect for fundamental rights.” “UNMISS is prepared to support the respective government authorities and communities to reduce tensions through dialogue and other peaceful means,” she concluded.
South Sudan has a unity government that began after the materialization of the 2018 peace agreement between the president, Salva Kiir, and the rebel leader Riek Machar, which led to the latter returning to the position of first vice president from the African country.
Despite the decrease in violence due to the political conflict, the country has registered an increase in inter-community confrontations, mainly motivated by the theft of cattle and disputes between herders and farmers in the most fertile areas of the country, especially due to the increase in desertification and displacement of populations.
