Africa-Press – South-Sudan. An activist has called on the presidency to intervene and put an end to the widespread communal and inter-communal violence across the country.
Edmond Yakani, the Executive Director of the Community Empowerment Progress Organization said the communal conflict is largely politically motivated.
Speaking to Eye Radio on Thursday, Yakani said he believes political elites in Juba are inciting the violence.
“I think these incidents state clearly that our government is not longer in control of armed communal violence, and also these incidents of communal violence are motivated by elites that are much more close to the center of power in Juba,” he said to Eye Radio.Yakani appealed to the top leadership to develop an early warning system that is responsive to incidents of violence.
“I am calling on his excellency the president and the presidency to meet and really agree on a framework on how to prevent this inter-communal violence, we are aware that the country has an early warning but there is no early response,” said Yakani.
In the previous week alone, Eye Radio reported the death of more than 60 people and the wounding of unspecified dozens of others during ethnic hostilities across the country.The victims, mainly civilians, died in the areas of Tonj North, Abyei, Kapoeta North, Ruweng and Juba County.
The latest incident was on Sunday when 11 people were killed, and a score wounded in a cattle-related attack in Ruweng’s Abiem-nom County.
According to Bataria Manyror, a lawmaker representing Abiemnom, civilians driving recovered cattle back to the Ruweng, came under attack from suspected cattle raiders.
This follows another incident on Saturday, in which 18 soldiers and 7 civilians died after the army and local youth in Tonj North County of Warrap state clashed.The state Information Minister Ring Deng told Eye Radio, the violence started as the government tried to recover some stolen cattle.
Among the victims were the chief of military intelligence in the area and the former Commissioner of Mayen Jur in the defunct Gogrial State.
On the same day, an armed attack claimed seven lives and left two people wounded in the Abyei Administrative area.
The area Spokesperson, Ajak Deng said the incident which occurred in the southern part of Abyei town left 7 people dead, Saturday evening.
Meanwhile, Yakani said the country could be disintegrating tribal militias that may overpower the organized forces.
“The country is breaking into pieces, the country breaking into community defense forces that can actually overpower our army soon, you have seen that scenario in which our own defense forces are now challenged by armed youth, and that is very alarming,” he said.The activist emphasized on the need to expedite the graduation and deployment of the Unified forces as this will reduce the conflicts.
“The presidency need to meet urgently and agree on a framework on how to handle the issue, this tendency of committees, we have seen that committees are no longer working. They come with good recommendations but there is no political will.”
According to a United Nations report, inter-communal fighting has been on the rise across South Sudan, and the main source of violence affecting civilians since the formation of the unity government in 2020.
The peacekeeping body said inter-communal clashes and armed conflict have hampered humanitarian efforts to pre-position food, medicine and other supplies.
The Saturday’s incident in the contested Abyei region, occurred after a brief calm and stability since the killing of 25 people in the area in May.
Abyei has been faced with communal attacks involving the neighboring Twic of Warrap State and the Sudanese Misseriya tribesmen.Also last Friday, nine people were killed by suspected herders in Lokiliri Payam of Juba County.
A government official in Central Equatoria State said, armed cattle keepers stationed at Mogiri moved out of their camps and attacked Lokiliri village on Friday Morning.
In a press statement, the Cabinet Minister Woyi Godwill Edward said the government deployed security forces to calm the situation.
This follows last week’s reports that twelve people were killed in Kapoeta North County by suspected armed youth from the Pibor Administrative Area.
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