A village torched by armed men in Akakuach of Twic County in Warrap State. (-)

Civil Society Activist Edmund Yakani has condemned the reports of escalating cross-border attacks on villages by armed men, particularly in the Bahr el Ghazal region.

Yakani said the violence is a blatant violation of the recent presidential order for resolutions of conflicts among Bahr el Ghazal communities.

The Executive Director of Community Empowerment for Progress Organization said the renewed violence shows a clear attitude of undermining the presidential order.

“I would like to strongly condemn the violation of the recent presidential order for resolution of conflicts among the conflicting communities in the region of Bahr Al Gazal,” Yakani said in a statement sent to Eye Radio on WhatsApp.

On 19^th January Warrap State government said critical infrastructures were burned into ashes in Turalei Payam of Twic County by a group of armed youth.

Warrap Information Minister William Wol Mayom said an unspecified number of cattle were also raided and properties destructed.

Meanwhile, on 20^th January, Police Western Bahr el Ghazal State reported the killing of four people including a military officer in Achoum -Achoum attack in Jur River County.

In Lakes State, intercommunal violence at a cattle camp wounded seven people, while several attacks on Unity State’s Mayom County killed two people and led the loss of properties.

“All these amount to violations of the recent presidential directives or order for resolution of conflicts among the conflicting communities of Bahr Al Gazal region in a peaceful manner.”

Yakani called on the leadership in Western Bahr Al Gazal, Warrap and Abyei to respect the directives of the president and order their armed youth to cease violence.

“I would like to call upon the political leadership in Wau, Kwajok and Abyei that they should respect the directives and the orders of the president,” he said.

“They should communicate to the leaders of these armed groups to put down their arms and cease fire as president order has demanded and go for a dialogue, and we feel that dialogue is the best.”

CEPO said it will commission a group of mediators to the inter-communal violence in February 2024.

“I urge all citizens to commit themselves to support our national mediators in finding amicable solutions to the depute that is going on among our communities.”