Inter-ethnic violence leaves more than 40 dead in South Sudan

[News_Editor]

Inter-ethnic violence leaves more than 40 dead in South Sudan

2011-12-10 18:19:46 GMT+7 (ICT)

NEW YORK (BNO NEWS) -- The United Nations (UN) on Friday reiterated the importance of the reconciliation process in the state of Jonglei in South Sudan, where more than 40 people were killed in violence this week.

The latest wave of inter-ethnic violence broke out in Jonglei state, where the killing of mostly women, children, and the elderly occurred in the villages of Jalle payam, Bor South county and Twic East on Monday.

Intense rivalry between the Luo Nuer and Murle communities in Jonglei, often over cattle rustling, frequently spark outbreaks of bloody clashes that have left hundreds of people killed and thousands more displaced this year alone.

The UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), after the latest clashes which left homes burned and large numbers of livestock stolen, underlined the importance of the Jonglei peace process. The mission condemned the violence and urged the government, traditional leaders and other authorities to strengthen efforts to bring the bloodletting to an end and to identify the perpetrators and bring them to justice.

Furthermore, the escalating insecurity has also affected humanitarian access and the flow of aid, causing assistance at Yida to be disrupted repeatedly.

Hilde Johnson, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and head of UNMISS, urged that the cycle of violence must stop. "While respecting their need to protect themselves, the communities of Jonglei should be encouraged to refrain from mobilizing their fighters since this will only perpetuate the grisly cycle of mass violence and retaliation," Johnson said.

UNMISS has been supporting the church-led Jonglei peace process as well as preparations for the Luo Nuer-Murle peace conference and the All Jonglei State Peace Conference in January.

Earlier in the week, the mission's personnel visited Jalle payam and Bor South county and helped the evacuation of some of those wounded in the violence to a hospital in Juba, the capital of South Sudan. UNMISS has also deployed aerial reconnaissance flights and integrated teams to the area to help stabilize the situation.

At least 600 people were killed and more than 750 others were injured in late August when tribal clashes erupted in the state of Jonglei. 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.

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