Sharp Fall in Violence Against South Sudan Citizens - UN Mission

Reported incidents of violence against civilians fell by around 42% in 2021 compared with the previous year, according to a new report released by the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).

The UNMISS human rights division's annual brief on violence affecting civilians, documented 3,414 civilian victims subjected to killing, injury, abduction, and conflict-related sexual violence, out of 982 recorded cases.

Some 75% of the victims were men, while 14% of cases involved women, and 11% were children.

In 2021, violence surged when at least 230 citizens were killed, 120 were injured, 178 were abducted, and 14 women subjected to conflict-related sexual violence.

A concerning surge of fighting was also documented in Tambura, Western Equatoria, between ethnic militias who are allegedly affiliated with conventional parties to the conflict, said the report.

UNMISS is urging the government to investigate human rights violations and abuses wherever they are taking place, and to hold all perpetrators accountable, particularly as violence continues to surge in several parts of the country, reports UN News Service.

Ten years ago, South Sudan gained its long-fought independence from Sudan. Since then, the new country descended into a bloody seven-year civil war, and while a peace deal was inked by warring parties in 2018, fighting between communities, as well as government human rights abuses, rage on.