The warning follows reports that a senior military leader has urged troops to inflict indiscriminate violence against civilians, prompting more than 180 000 people to flee their homes. \u201cInflammatory rhetoric calling for violence against civilians, including the most vulnerable, is utterly abhorrent and must stop now,\u201d said Graham Maitland, Officer-in-Charge of UNMISS, on Sunday.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
South Sudan, which gained independence in July 2011, descended into civil conflict soon after, with fighting between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and those aligned with First Vice President Riek Machar. Despite a 2018 peace agreement and the establishment of a transitional unity government, clashes and tensions continue.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
UNMISS said communities in Jonglei and other regions are suffering greatly due to intensifying conflict, including direct confrontations between armed groups. The Mission urged South Sudan\u2019s leaders to put the interests of the people first by halting hostilities and honouring commitments under the peace deal.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
This includes returning to consensus-based decision\u2011making, respecting power\u2011sharing arrangements and agreeing on a peaceful conclusion to the transitional period through inclusive dialogue.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan also expressed grave alarm, warning that inflammatory rhetoric by senior commanders and reports of force mobilisation \u201csignificantly heighten the risk of mass violence against civilians and further erode the peace agreement.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Commission Chairperson Yasmin Sooka condemned language encouraging harm against civilians and those hors de combat, stating that such rhetoric has preceded mass atrocities in South Sudan\u2019s past. The Commission stressed that military and civilian leaders who incite or fail to prevent crimes may be held criminally responsible under international law.<\/p>\n
It called for an immediate end to inflammatory rhetoric and the mobilisation of forces, stressing that President Kiir, as Commander\u2011in\u2011Chief, has a heightened responsibility to ensure effective control of troops.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Regional and international partners were urged to re\u2011engage urgently to preserve the peace agreement and prevent a slide into all\u2011out ethnic conflict. \u201cThis crisis is not inevitable,\u201d Sooka said. \u201cLeadership, restraint and accountability can still avert catastrophe. But the window to act is closing fast.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
–UN\/ChannelAfrica–<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":22922,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"news-type":[26],"class_list":["post-22921","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","news-type-general_news","entry"],"acf":{"short_description":"The United Nations (UN) Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has raised the alarm over escalating violence in Jonglei state, warning that the situation is putting lives at risk and further undermining prospects for peace.","published_date":null,"news_description":"The United Nations (UN) Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has raised the alarm over escalating violence in Jonglei state, warning that the situation is putting lives at risk and further undermining prospects for peace.","form_embed":"","author":"","image_caption":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/22921","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/22921\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26057,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/22921\/revisions\/26057"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22922"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22921"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"news-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-type?post=22921"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}