South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Simon Deng
The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has called on the transitional government to intervene and deploy forces to address the escalating intercommunal violence in Tonj East.
This unrest has resulted in multiple fatalities, the destruction of homes, and widespread displacement.
Guang Cong, the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General at the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), said they are deeply concerned about escalating intercommunal violence in Tonj East, which has caused hundreds of deaths and widespread displacement.
“Urgent intervention is needed from the national Government to prevent the conflict from escalating to catastrophic levels and to bring communities together to peacefully resolve grievances,” said Cong in a statement issued on Tuesday in Juba.
Cong revealed that UNMISS is intensively engaging with state and local leaders to calm the situation and has increased its peacekeeping patrols, adding that peacekeepers are experiencing significant challenges in reaching some of the affected areas due to a proliferation of checkpoints manned by armed youth.
“While UNMISS is doing its utmost to deter further mobilization and conflict, the Government is primarily responsible for protecting civilians. We, therefore, encourage the Government to rapidly deploy security services to prevent further violence and create a safe environment for community dialogue and peacebuilding,” said Mr. Cong.
Since December 2024, Tonj East County in Warrap State has been plagued by a series of aggressive incidents, including cattle raiding and cycles of revenge attacks involving armed youth from neighbouring communities.
Over the past few days, there has been a surge of violence in Tonj East County, driven by attempts to recover stolen cattle and avenge previous loss of life, leading to 62 deaths and 36 injuries.
