Map of Western Equatoria State. | Courtesy.

UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) said 13 people were killed and 62 houses were burnt down in December 2024 during subnational violence in Tambura in Western Equatoria, while urging all parties to show restraint.

In a press statement on Thursday, UNMISS said it received reports of some 19 instances of inter-communal conflict in Tambura, which resulted in the death of a dozen, abduction of two people and the destruction of properties.

It said most recently on 18 December, two separate incidents of gunfire occurred leading to the deaths of two people.

UNMISS’s Deputy Special Representative-Political Guang Cong said the escalating violence in Tambura is alarming and must stop immediately, according to the statement.

“While UNMISS peacekeepers are patrolling day and night, doing their best to shore up community confidence and support humanitarian partners in providing urgent aid, there is widespread fear of further attacks and counter attacks,” Cong said.

He added that the violence has led to an influx of people in the Internally Displaced Persons camp adjacent to the Mission’s temporary operating base, and several other similar camps.

“In addition to reinforcing our troops in Tambura, we continue engaging with authorities, political actors, security personnel, community and faith-based leaders to defuse hostilities. However, the primary responsibility for protecting civilians lies with the government,” he added.

The UN official confirmed the deployment of an additional government security forces to Tambura, and calls for investigation to identify perpetrators and bring them to justice.

“We also call for sustained interventions by the Government to restore calm, including conducting investigations to identify perpetrators and bring them to justice, as well as creating conditions for communities to reconcile,” he stated.

The security situation in Tambura remains fragile since intercommunal clashes first erupted in 2021, UNMISS said, despite ongoing efforts by UNMISS as well as state and national authorities to resolve community differences through peace dialogues.