CEPO Director Edmund Yakani | Photo: Awan Moses/Eye Radio.

The Community Empowerment for Progress Organization appealed to different levels of the government to take responsibility in deescalating the land-related inter-communal violence across the country.

In a press statement released on Sunday, CEPO said the recent deadly violence over land disputes across the country pose a real threat to national peace and stability.

CEPO Executive Director, Edmund Yakani, said political and military elites are fueling such frictions for gaining relevance among their respective communities.

He cited the land conflicts between Twic and Ngok communities of Warrap and Abyei, Apuk and Marial Bai communities of Warrap and Western Bahr el Ghazal, and some communities of Upper Nile State.

Other incidents are the dispute between Bari and Mundari communities over Mangalla of Central Equatoria, and Lopa-Lafon communities of Eastern Equatoria.

“CEPO is urging the leadership of the country at their various level to prioritize concrete and genuine resolution of the deadly frictions over land ownership matters before holding elections campaigns and distribution of the geographical constituencies especially for state legislative assemblies’ representation,” the statement said.

Yakani added that the violence over land ownership is an indication of insecurity that will put anticipated elections campaigns especially in the states at risks.

CEPO said the issue require the intervention of the political leadership and members of the Council of States before elections are held in December 2024.