UN reports at least 600 killed in South Sudan tribal clashes

UN reports at least 600 killed in South Sudan tribal clashes

2011-08-23 10:33:13 GMT+7 (ICT)

UNITED NATIONS (BNO NEWS) -- At least 600 people have reportedly been killed as a result of ongoing tribal clashes in South Sudan's Jonglei state, the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) reported on Monday.

UNMISS has called for an immediate end to the violence which erupted in the state of Jonglei last week where hundreds of people have been killed and unconfirmed reports indicate more than 750 others have been wounded.

The clashes originated between the Murle and Lou Nuer communities following large-scale cattle raids by members of the two groups, leading to the theft of between 26,000 and 30,000 cattle. Cattle raids are a persistent problem in South Sudan.

According to the UNMISS, many homes were also destroyed during the fighting in recent days and local authorities reported that nearly 200 people may have been abducted while thousands have been displaced. Clashes were still continuing on Monday.

Hilde Johnson, the head of UNMISS and the Secretary-General's Special Representative for South Sudan, voiced deep concern about the attacks and urged all ethnic communities to exercise restraint. "This cycle of violence must stop," she said. "That so many people have been killed and injured again in such wanton destruction is unacceptable."

Johnson said reconciliation efforts are urgently needed and pledged the mission's willingness to support such a process. A UNMISS team has already visited the affected areas in an attempt to facilitate reconciliation efforts.

"The security of all South Sudanese people must come first," Johnson stressed, adding her condemnation of the looting and destruction of humanitarian facilities in Jonglei.

South Sudan became the world's newest country when it broke away from Sudan on July 9 as a culmination of a six-year peace process which began in January 2005 with the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) between the Government of Sudan and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM).

More than two million people, most of them civilians who died due to starvation and drought, were killed during the 20-year civil war in Sudan. Although there were hopes that South Sudan secession would lead to peace, violence has continued both on a local level in South Sudan as well as with the Sudanese forces.

The UN Mission in Sudan ended its mandated operations the same day South Sudan declared independence following a CPA-provided referendum in which an overwhelming majority of 98.83 percent of the voters favored secession.

In support of the new nation, the UN Security Council then established a successor mission, the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), for an initial period of one year, with the intention to renew for further periods as required.

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