CEPO Executive Director Edmund Yakani. (Photo: Awan Moses/Eye Radio).

Activist Edmund Yakani is calling on the South Sudanese government to implement sustainable peace strategies that address the root causes of deadly inter-communal violence in Warrap State and Mayom County, Unity State.

This call comes in response to President Salva Kiir’s declaration of a state of emergency on national television (SSBC) on Thursday, following renewed violence in Tonj East County and other parts of Warrap State.

It also followed the appointment of Ambassador Bol Wek Agoth as the new Governor of Warrap State.

Mr. Yakani, Executive Director of the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), welcomed the state of emergency as a necessary short-term deterrent but cautioned that it is not a lasting solution.

“A state of emergency is a short-term approach to finding solutions to deadly armed violence in our communities. While it may prevent further loss of lives and property, experience shows that such measures do not bring total or durable peace,” Yakani said.

He cited ongoing violence in Upper Nile State, despite similar emergency measures in the past.

Yakani said that for peace to be sustainable, the government must tackle underlying drivers of conflict, such as political manipulation, ethnic divisions, and the widespread availability of arms.

He urged President Salva Kiir to go beyond the state of emergency by holding accountable political elites at the community and state levels who incite violence.

Additionally, he called for reforms to address corruption within the security sector that enables illegal access to weapons.

“For a durable and sustainable solution, the country’s leadership must implement Chapter Two of the Revitalized Peace Agreement, which focuses on security arrangements, disarmament, and reforming the security sector,” Yakani told Eye Radio.

He warned that the current violence is being exploited as a tool for political power struggles.

A state of emergency grants authorities expanded powers to respond swiftly to crises. It often involves suspending certain rights such as freedom of movement or assembly, deploying additional security forces including the military, and increasing government control over critical infrastructure and services.