The restive area in Western Equatoria state has been experiencing sub-national violence since June this year.

According to local authorities there, fighting first broke out between an armed group and a faction of the SPLA-IO forces – leading to the death of over 200 people, undisclosed number of people wounded and over 100,000 displaced.

Last month, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimated that among the displaced, about 45,000 people fled to Ezo County.

Thousands of others are sheltering at churches and schools in Yambio town, Nagero, Namutina, Wau, Nzara and Moso, and others fleeing to the neighboring Central African Republic.

The chairperson of the UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan also revealed that over 100 civilians were massacred in the ‘army-fueled’ violence in Tambura in August.

Yasmin Sooka stated that it is the unity government in Juba that is fueling the conflict between two communities in the area.

However, the government has denied its involvement in the Tambura fighting.

Major-General Teshome Gemechu, the chairperson of CTSAM-VM appealed to both, the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission and the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development to keep mainly the SPLA-IO and SSPDF from being part of the conflict in the Western Equatoria area.

Gemechu was speaking during the CTSAM-VM’s technical committee meeting in Juba Thursday.

“The level of violence in the Tambura area remains a serious concern. We call upon IGAD and R-JMEC to urge the parties to ensure the military forces do not get involved in committing violence and that all stakeholders implement measures to defuse the tension and facilitate the relocation of the warring forces away from Tambura,” Teshome Gemechu said.

Displaced persons, religious leaders, traditional leaders and civil society activists have repeatedly called on both the state and national governments to look into the matter, but nothing or less has been done to end the violence.