The United Nations has reported that hundreds of people have been killed in South Sudan since December due to an increase in violence between local groups linked to livestock theft and revenge attacks.
According to the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, the violence has primarily affected Tonj East in Warrap State in the northwestern part of the state, where armed clashes between cattle herders have caused widespread destruction. “The conflict has led to hundreds of deaths, the burning of homes and large-scale displacement,” it is said in a statement on Tuesday.
In March alone, more than 200 deaths have been recorded in these escalating clashes. The violence stems from long-standing disputes over access to resources, livestock theft and cycles of reprisals that have been intensified by the state’s prolonged drought and extreme weather conditions, including floods.
UNMISS has called on South Sudan’s national government to intervene swiftly to prevent further deterioration. “Urgent action is needed to defuse the situation and promote peaceful dialogue between groups,” said Guang Cong, the deputy special representative in South Sudan.
The violence is not limited to the northwest. In February, a brutal attack in Eastern Equatoria State left 41 people dead, including women and children. Dozens were injured and many are missing in what local authorities described as a “cold-blooded massacre.”
These local clashes come amid ongoing political instability in the country. South Sudan has been plagued by power struggles and ethnic violence since it gained independence from Sudan in 2011. Clashes between rival factions loyal to President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar have deepened the humanitarian crisis and complicated efforts to achieve lasting peace.