FILE: The latest fighting in Cuei-bet was reportedly triggered by the killing of SSPDF officer Credit | UNMISS.

More than 2,400 South Sudanese have died due to inter-communal violence and armed cattle raiding in 2020, a local non-governmental organization has said.

Through its conflict warning system, Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) revealed that it has documented up to 2,450 lives lost last year.

Edmund Yakani, CEPO director says besides the loss of lives, survivors of the deadly violence also lost valuable property.

“Eighty percent of the 2,450 human lives lost were due to inter-communal violence, revenge attacks, and armed cattle raiding,” Yakani told Eye Radio Sunday.

“The region of Bahr el Ghazal, Lakes and Warrap states took the lead with 43% and in Upper Nile region, mainly Jonglei state took the lead with 37%  and in the Equatoria region, Eastern Equatoria and Central Equatoria states lead with 20%.”

“These are percentages from the documented cases only and there many undocumented cases,” he added.

Yakani says between 2017 and 2020, inter-communal violence have become more deadly.

He blames politically motivated incidents and the lack of youth access to livelihood opportunities for continuous violence.

Last year, the UN Mission in South Sudan said revenge attacks and cattle-related killings remained the biggest insecurity challenges after political violence subsided in the country following the signing of the revitalized peace agreement.

In 2020, the government tried to disarm some youth in the Greater Bahr el Ghazal region, but local youth especially in the Lakes and Warrap resisted disarmament efforts, leading to the loss of more lives.

Mr. Yakni criticizes the government for lacking “a clear plan” to disarm local youth.

“The state attempts for the disarmament of the civilians is not responsive and effective if the state did not take serious and practical steps on providing safety and protection through police that adhere to the principle of human rights and rule of law including serious inter-communal violence mediation that is free from political manipulation by the political elites,” he argued.

Mr. Yakani warned that if the state continues to fail in mitigating these pockets of deadly inter-communal violence, “the chance of communities resorting to building militia groups is potential besides the exiting community militia groups.”

He urged the government to, at the beginning of 2021, dedicate attention and resources for the mitigation of this on-going deadly and politically motivated inter-communal violence.

“Maybe enacting specific legislation for criminalizing individuals fueling inter-communal violence can be a long-term option,” Mr. Yakani suggested.