The state of emergency imposed on the three states of Gok, Western and Eastern Lakes states by President Salva Kiir should be lifted immediately, said Tito Anthony, the coordinator of the Centre for Peace and Justice Centre (CPJ), also criticizing government officials who advised Kiir to take the decision.

“The state of emergency is not always the solution to the conflict in Lakes state. The state of emergency has never worked out any solutions, in fact, it makes it worse,” he said.

“I condemn all officials who advised the president to take the decision and if civilians are later killed by military personal in the name of disarmament, then they will bear the responsibility of human rights violations,” he added.

The rights defender called for dialogue as the only solution in the three states instead of the state of emergency declared by President Kiir.

President Kiir has declared a three-month state of emergency in Gok, Eastern Lakes and Western lakes states, where inter-communal clashes intensified.

Kiir, in a decree read on the state-run SSBC on Monday night, ordered the army chief to disarm all armed youth involved in deadly clashes between communities in the states under lock down.

Nearly 173 people were reported killed in clashes in Western Lakes between armed youth from the Rup and Pakam clans last week.