Cattle raids and revenge attacks have claimed thousands of lives since 2011 in South Sudan. (Courtesy.)

The UN Mission in South Sudan says there was a rise in violence between October and December 2022 with 450 people killed and 224 injured across the country.

UNMISS said 203 others were abducted, and 92 were subjected to conflict-related sexual violence.

In a press statement extended to Eye Radio on Thursday, the mission stated that the number of civilians harmed increased by 87 percent, compared to the same period in 2021.

It says the rise in violent incidents was accompanied by a “disturbing” spike in abductions and conflict-related sexual violence — which have gone up by 464 percent and 360 percent respectively in comparison to 2021.

However, UNMISS says the overall number of incidents of violence in 2022 decreased when compared to the previous year.

According to the peacekeeping mission, the violence in the last three months of 2022, was concentrated in the states of Upper Nile, Warrap, and Jonglei.

It reported that more than half the number of civilian victims was the result of the conflict between Agwelek Forces and the Kitgwang group and their respective allied armed militias in the Greater Upper Nile region.

The other contributing factor was inter-communal violence in Warrap, Jonglei, and Eastern Equatoria states.

UNMISS added that the conflicts were exacerbated by pre-existing communal tensions, climate shocks, food insecurity, disruption of livelihoods, and the devaluation of the local currency –which are yet contributing to cattle-related violence and wider tensions between communities.

“This year is a make-or-break year for South Sudan to complete key benchmarks in the peace agreement and prepare for elections,” Nicholas Haysom, Special Representative to the UN Secretary-General said.

“This will not 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 is calling for an urgent action by the government to address the escalating violence and to protect civilians, in accordance with international human rights and humanitarian laws.