The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has asked the two governors of Jonglei and Upper Nile states to work together to bring lasting peace.
“We welcome the agreement from the two governors of Jonglei and Upper Nile states to work together to bring a lasting peace. UNMISS continues to support such dialogues at the national and state-level to foster political cohesion and trust, especially in lead-up to elections,” Linda Tom, the spokesperson of the UNMISS said in an interview in Juba on Monday.
She said UNMISS is collaborating with local authorities in Bor on conflict prevention, mitigation and to formulate state-level strategies for protection of civilians in the state.
Tom added they have deployed additional peacekeepers to strengthen security in and around the PoC site in Malakal town of Upper Nile state..
On Saturday, the governor of Jonglei state, Denay Jock Chagor and the governor of Upper Nile state, James Odhok resolved to work together to end intermittent cross-border conflict among their communities.
In early June, three people were killed and dozens injured following intermittent communal clashes in Malakal Poc. The violence flared up following a stabbing incident involving two fighting communities.
Tom revealed that UNMISS has on several occasions raised the need to tackle sub-national violence, adding it’s mainly manifested in Upper Nile and Jonglei, among other hotspots across the country.
“The situation in and around Malakal remains volatile following the intercommunal clashes at the Protection of Civilian site on 8 June. Recent claims of mobilizations in Upper Nile State threaten vulnerable communities and the Mission has appealed to all parties to exercise maximum restraint,” she said.
