A total of 405 civilians were killed and 235 injured between January and March in South Sudan, mainly due to inter-communal violence, the United Nations Mission in the country (UNMISS) announced on Friday.
South Sudan, the world’s youngest country, has been plagued by chronic instability and ethno-political violence since it gained independence from Sudan in 2011.
In the first three months of the year, UNMISS “documented 920 cases of violence against civilians”, including 243 against children. Following these clashes, “405 civilians died, 235 were injured, 266 were kidnapped and 14 were victims of sexual violence,” the mission reported in a press release.
Most of this violence took place in the Greater Pibor administrative region, near the Ethiopian border, and in Jonglei State, in the central-eastern part of the country.
Cases of violence against civilians increased by 12% compared to the same period last year and kidnappings by 113%, according to the UN. However, sexual violence and the number of people killed decreased.
UNMISS also recorded 22 extrajudicial killings between January and May, “allegedly committed by members of the South Sudanese security apparatus.”
“I condemn these incidents, which are taking place without due process,” UN mission chief Nicholas Haysom said in a press release, calling on authorities to investigate.
The UN also warns that the arrival, in the last two months, of more than 100,000 people fleeing deadly fighting in neighboring Sudan “has the potential to generate inter-communal violence.”
After gaining independence from Sudan in 2011, South Sudan plunged into a civil war that claimed nearly 400,000 lives and displaced millions between 2013 and 2018.
A peace agreement signed in 2018 provided for the principle of sharing power between rivals Salva Kiir and Riek Machar, within the framework of a national unity government.
But tensions persist and violent local armies continue to cause bloodshed in a country where most people live below the poverty line and which is also affected by extreme weather conditions (drought, floods).
The United Nations Mission in South Sudan is one of the most expensive UN missions in the world, with an annual budget of $1.2 billion, including the presence of around 17,000 military personnel.
Source: TSF
