Fresh violence erupted in western South Sudan, resulting in the death of 26 individuals, according to officials on Tuesday. President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar, in response to the escalating inter-communal clashes, jointly appealed for an end to the violence.
The clashes involve armed youths from Warrap State confronting rivals from Lakes, Western Bar El Ghazal states, and Abyei, a region jointly administered by South Sudan and Sudan.
Although these conflicts seem unrelated, local officials attribute them to disputes over land and natural resources.
Despite South Sudan officially being at peace since the 2018 agreement that concluded a five-year conflict, localized violence between competing communities continues to flare up regularly.
The recent clashes, occurring since last week, have resulted in over 150 casualties. President Kiir and Vice President Machar, former adversaries during the 2013-2018 civil war, met to address and condemn the “sub-national violence in parts of the country,” as stated in a government post on the X social media platform.
The latest incident took place on Monday, with armed youths from Warrap State attacking and setting fire to a police station and market in Western Bar el Ghazal State.
According to Arkenjelo Anyar Anyar, the acting governor of the state, eight security officers and ten civilians from his region lost their lives in the violence. William Wol, the information minister in Warrap, reported eight casualties from his state and attributed the conflict to a dispute over fertile land crucial for grazing and farming.
National elections are scheduled for later this year to select leaders who will succeed the current transitional government.
