Judge's gavel in courtroom - (Photo: Courtesy).

The South Sudan Human Rights Defenders Network (SSHRDN) has called for accountability of the recent violence in which dozens of civilians were killed in Central Equatoria and Warrap states.

The rights watchdog made the statement as South Sudan joins the rest of Africa in commemorating African Human Rights Day today.

It underscores that this year’s commemoration comes at a time violence rocked South Sudan where civilians were brutally killed, wounded and displaced in Wonduruba and Kajo-Keji and inter-communal clashes in Tonj.

These acts, according to the group, violate the right to life, security, and dignity, as outlined in the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and ccondemned the atrocities.

The rights group called on the transitional government and all relevant actors to immediately investigate the incidents, bring perpetrators to justice and take effective measures to prevent future violence.

It states that despite the revitalized agreement and steps towards peace and reconciliation, citizens’ lives remain at risk from violent conflicts.

“The violence in Wonduruba, Kajo-Keji, and Tonj serves as a harsh reminder that peace, development, and justice are impossible without safeguarding human rights,” said James Bidal, the head of the SSHRDN Secretariat.

“These atrocities must not go unpunished. We call on all stakeholders to demonstrate leadership, end the cycle of violence, and protect every South Sudanese citizen’s right to life and dignity.”

Meanwhile, SSHRDN urges the government, civil society, and international partners to recommit to peace, justice, and accountability.

It stressed that “upholding human rights is not merely a goal but a shared responsibility that demands immediate, concrete action to prevent further loss of life and build a society where all individuals are respected and protected.”

On 9th October 2024, assailants launched a mid-night attack in Wonduruba Payam, where they dragged male juveniles out of their homes, butchered them with machetes and left their bodies lying on the road and bushes.

The incident occurred hours after alleged fighting between rival factions of the National Salvation Front (NAS) in the outskirts of the area, and shortly after visiting Central Equatorial Governor Augustino Jadalla left for Yei.

The state government later disclosed that 19 people were killed in different attacks including the killing of nearly 10 youth in Ganj Payam of Juba County, while pledging to identify and prosecute culprits behind the incidents.

The UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) said it is alarmed by interconnected attacks involving armed groups in the Greater Juba area of Central Equatoria state, which claimed the lives of 24 people, including 19 civilians.

On 12th October, 20 people were killed and 38 others wounded during a fierce inter-communal fighting in Tonj North County of Warrap, an official said, adding that the government is struggling to contain the situation.

The state Minister of Information Willam Wol Mayom said the violence erupted between two sections of the Lou community in Alebek Payam of Tonj North County.

He said the fighting was triggered by some criminal elements who had returned to the area and incited armed youth to fight each other.

On October 18, four people were killed by armed men who indiscriminately opened fire at a market in Kajo-Keji County of Central Equatoria State, according to the commissioner.