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'Cycle of Ethnic Violence' Rages in South Sudanese State

By Mina Fabulous  

A "cycle of violence" between ethnic communities in Jonglei state in South Sudan has escalated in town of Pibor and the village of Fartait in Jonglei, both the scene of recent attacks by a large group of armed youths from the Lou Nuer community, which has engaged in deadly clashes over the past year with the Murle community.

Hilde F. Johnson, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and the head of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), said the violence must end and called on the Government, church leaders, civil society groups and the communities themselves to each play their part to achieve peace in the troubled area.

An aerial view of the areas surrounding Pibor, in Jonglei State, South Sudan, which have been at the centre of ethnic tensions recently, including an attack over the weekend on Pibor town by youths from the Lou Nuer group.UN Photo/Isaac Billy

Ms. Johnson yesterday travelled to the town of Pibor and the village of Fartait in Jonglei to assess the situation. She was accompanied by General Moses Obi, the Force Commander of UNMISS, and diplomatic representatives of the United States, France and the United Kingdom. She also visited a temporary clinic set up by UN peacekeepers to treat wounded civilians and met with residents and internally displaced persons (IDPs) who have returned home to Pibor and Fartait after the attacks.

Earlier this month of December, an outbreak of inter-ethnic violence earlier has left more than 40 people dead, most of them women, children and the elderly.

Intense rivalry between the Luo Nuer and Murle communities in Jonglei, often over cattle rustling, frequently spark outbreaks of bloody clashes that have left hundreds dead and thousands displaced this year alone.

UNMISS is supporting the church-led Jonglei peace process as well as preparations for the Luo Nuer-Murle peace conference and the All Jonglei State Peace Conference in January.

UN agencies, backed by UNMISS, have launched a major aid operation in Jonglei - a remote area in the east of the country - to help the estimated 60,000 civilians in urgent need of humanitarian assistance. The distribution of food rations has begun in Pibor and will continue in the town and in other areas.

"We have to see this cycle of violence stop. The people of Jonglei state from all sides have suffered enough. The safety and security of all must now come first. This means a committed, coordinated and cooperative drive by all concerned to achieve peace and stability." -Ms. Johnson

Ms. Johnson also welcomed the South Sudanese Government's decision to deploy extra security forces to the area and called for even more forces to be deployed to the buf fer zones between the two ethnic communities.

The Special Representative also urged the Government to move swiftly to set up its peace team to deal with the problems in Jonglei and their root causes, working with church leaders, civil society groups and the communities.

A human rights team has been dispatched by UNMISS to the area to investigate rights violations and to verify media reports about casualty numbers.

Ravaged by civil war, South Sudan is one of the least developed nations. Legislation since independence is still in the early stages. Few roads exist outside the capital Juba, while the economy entirely depends on oil.

UNMISS has reinforced its presence in key areas of Jonglei to protect civilians following the recent violence and is continuing to conduct daily air and land patrols. UNMISS has urged the Government of South Sudan to continue to discharge its primary responsibility to protect civilians and to encourage communities involved in the cycle on inter-community violence in Jonglei to respect their earlier commitments to stop the bloodletting and to resolve their differences through dialogue.

But the mission has repeatedly stressed that the Government has the main responsibility of restoring peace and stability.

Mina Fabulous follows the news, especially what is going on in the US State Department. Mina turns State Department waffle into plain english. Contact Mina through NewsBlaze.