Juba, Dec 17 (IANS): The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) on Tuesday called on authorities in South Sudan's Jonglei State and Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA) to redouble efforts to reduce tensions between youth from both sides.
Nicholas Haysom, the UN Secretary-General's special representative for South Sudan and head of UNMISS, said immediate and targeted interventions by authorities and communities are needed to ensure clashes do not erupt.
"UNMISS condemns repeated criminal activity in these areas and urges all parties to refrain from further confrontation," Haysom said in a statement issued in Juba, the capital of South Sudan.
The statement followed allegations of attempted cattle raids in Gumuruk County and along the west bank of the Nanaam River on December 14, as well as persistent reports of youth mobilisation.
Officials of the GPAA said youth from Jonglei attacked villages and raided thousands of cattle before fleeing across the Gadiang border. The Jonglei government, however, has since denied the allegations that state youth were involved in the Saturday attack and cross-border mobilisation, Xinhua news agency reported.
Haysom said these reports of youth mobilisation in Jonglei and GPAA and the consequent potential for widespread conflict are alarming, noting that despite the UN mission's efforts to engage communities, these cycles of mobilisation for violence persist.
"We have intensified our patrols and continue to encourage relevant stakeholders in both Jonglei and Greater Pibor to de-escalate the situation. But our peacekeepers cannot be everywhere," said Haysom, calling on the authorities, security actors, political parties, faith-based and traditional leaders, youth, and community members to find dialogue-based ways to resolve issues collectively.
The UN official lauded the ongoing efforts by both sides to restore calm, adding that the mission has reinforced its troops in the region and is patrolling the known conflict hotspots to shore up community confidence and deter violence.