JUBA, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) said Thursday the number of civilians affected by violence in South Sudan increased sharply at the end of 2022 compared to the same period in 2021.
UNMISS said in its latest quarterly brief that from October to December 2022, the number of civilians harmed increased by 87 percent compared to the same period in 2021. "This rise was accompanied by a disturbing increase in abductions and conflict-related sexual violence which have gone up by 464 percent and 360 percent, respectively when compared to the previous year. However, the overall number of incidents of violence for the entire 2022 decreased compared to the previous year," UNMISS said in a report released in Juba, the capital of South Sudan.
The UN mission said violence in the last three months of 2022 was concentrated in specific areas of Upper Nile, Warrap, and Jonglei States in which more than half (53 percent) of the number of civilian victims came out of the conflict between Agwelek Forces and the Kitgwang group and their respective allied armed militias in the Greater Upper Nile region.
UNMISS said many civilians were also hit by inter-communal violence in Warrap, Jonglei, and Eastern Equatoria states and that the conflicts were exacerbated by pre-existing communal tensions, climate shocks, food insecurity, disruption of livelihoods and the devaluation of the local currency factors which are still contributing to cattle-related violence and broader tensions between communities.
Nicholas Haysom, special representative of the Secretary-General to South Sudan and head of UNMISS, called for urgent action by the government to address the escalating violence and protect civilians in line with international human rights and humanitarian laws.
"This year is a make-or-break year for South Sudan to complete key benchmarks in the peace agreement and prepare for elections. This will not be possible if conflict, which increasingly presents an ethnic or tribal dimension, persists, and threatens to unravel hard-won peace gains achieved so far. More seriously, the alarming abductions and sexual violence must stop," Haysom said.
The Mission stressed that they are doing all within its power to prevent or curb deadly violence in the areas of greatest need by undertaking peace advocacy and dialogues in addition to hundreds of patrols by land, air, and river, and also establishing temporary operating bases in conflict hotspots. ■