from RAJI BASHIR in Khartoum, Sudan
Sudan Bureau
KHARTOUM, (CAJ News) – THE United Nations (UN) is wary of renewed ethnic tensions in South Sudan.
These have been reported in Jonglei and the Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA).
This follows allegations of attempted cattle raids in Gumuruk and along the western bank of the Nanaam river last Saturday, as well as persistent reports of youth mobilisation.
“These reports of youth mobilisation in Jonglei and Greater Pibor and the consequent potential for widespread conflict are alarming,” said Nicholas Haysom, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative.
He is also the head of the Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
“UNMISS condemns repeated criminal activity in these areas and urges all parties to refrain from further confrontation,” Haysom said.
The envoy added that despite the mission’s efforts to engage communities, these cycles of mobilisation for violence persisted.
UNMISS has intensified our patrols and continues to encourage relevant stakeholders in Jonglei and Greater Pibor to de-escalate the situation.
“But our peacekeepers cannot be everywhere. Immediate and targeted interventions by authorities and communities themselves are needed to ensure clashes do not erupt,” Haysom said.
The UN Peacekeeping mission has reinforced its troops in the affected regions and is patrolling known conflict hotspots to shore up community confidence as well as deter violence.
South Sudan plunged into a civil war in 2013, two years after independence, as the world’s newest country.
– CAJ News