By Zach Waksman
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa
JUBA, South Sudan – Six months after its recognition as a sovereign state, South Sudan already faces a massive humanitarian crisis. Since then, long-dormant ethnic tensions have resurfaced in the newly independent country. Thousands of people have died, and efforts to stem the tide of bloodshed have failed. Thursday, Murle youths from Pibor County killed 37 people in Uror County of Jonglei State.
The Murle and Lou Nuer, rival ethnic groups in Jonglei State, have a long-standing conflict that subsided in 2009 for purposes of gaining independence for South Sudan. But in August, only a month after independence became reality over 600 Lou Nuer died at the hands of Murle forces, who also abducted dozens of children. On January 3, 2012, John Boloch of South Sudan’s Peace and Reconciliation Commission told the BBC that he estimated at least 150 deaths during the first two days of the year. Pibor was a particular nexus of the conflict, with 6,000 Lou Nuer fighters surrounding the town last week. That outnumbers the combined forces of the country’s army and a contingent of peacekeepers from the United Nations.
Due to this lack of firepower, the UN felt that, other than warning villagers of the coming assault, which the Lou Nuer publicly announced prior to their attack, it could not do anything to protect the Murle from its rival.
“Protection of civilians in the rural areas and at larger scale would only have been possible with significantly more military capacity,” said Hilde F. Johnson, head of the UN mission in South Sudan.
Part of the problem may be that politicians in the area used incited violence for their own gains. Boloch wondered why peacekeepers were protecting government buildings instead of people. Government spokesman Dr. Barnaba Marial addressed the media earlier this week, announcing that the government was forming a committee to investigate and arrest those who used their positions for such a purpose.
“[T]hose politicians trying to incite conflicts between our communities are warned that this is not the way to do it,” he said. “There are certain politicians who are trying to agitate for demonstration. Please let us help our government to develop instead.”
Because of the conflict, which has claimed an estimated 2,000 lives, many have fled Pibor and the surrounding area. According to Liz Grande, humanitarian affairs coordinator of the UN office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN-OCHA), at least 60,000 South Sudanians have been displaced from Jonglei, with still more fleeing as best they can. Addressing the situation will be difficult, as South Sudan lacks an extensive road system that would make delivery of aid easier. It will instead have to be brought in by air, which is much more expensive. Grande called the present situation the worst humanitarian crisis the region has faced since the signing of a peace agreement six years ago.
“This emergency operation is going to be one of the most complex and expensive in South Sudan since the Comprehensive Peace Agreement was signed in 2005,” Grande said.
For more information, please see:
Gurtong Trust — 37 Killed in Uror County of Jonglei State — 12 January 2012
Gurtong Trust — Government Warns Politicians over Conflict Instigation — 12 January 2012
New York Times — Ethnic Killings Fray Unity Marking Birth of South Sudan — 12 January 2012
Voice of America — South Sudanese Continue to Flee Violence Along Border — 09 January 2012
New Nation — South Sudan Facing Worst Humanitarian Crisis since CPA — 08 January 2012
BBC — South Sudan’s Jonglei Clashes: UN Begins Aid Effort — 07 January 2012
BBC — South Sudanese “Massacred” after Fleeing Pibor — 03 January 2012
