The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has said normalcy has returned to the area of Manyang in Jur River County of Western Bahr el-Ghazal State.
Addressing the South Sudan Independence Day celebration in Wau town on Tuesday, the Western Bahr el-Ghazal UMNISS field coordinator, Sam Mamure, appreciated the efforts by the host and the Warrap states to maintain law and order.
Mamure stated that the deployment of the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) in Manyang restored peace and stability after the inter-communal violence.
“A year ago around this time, there were some areas of Western Bahr el-Ghazal where inter-communal violence erupted. From the information I have today, all corners of the state are peaceful,” said Mamure.
“I would like to appreciate the governments of Western Bahr el-Ghazal and Warrap states, but most importantly, I would like to appreciate the gallant sons and daughters of the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces for bringing stability to the Manyang areas that were hit by violence,’’ he added.
Last year, a conflict erupted in the Manyang area between the Wan-bai community of Western Bahr el-Ghazal and a section of the Apuk Giir of Warrap State, that left over 100 people killed on both sides, and occasioned a massive displacement.
The violence saw the two states deploy joint security forces to contain the situation.
The UNMISS state coordinator also called for dialogue and investigations into the human rights abuses committed during the conflict.
“I would like to again call upon the leadership of both Western Bahr el-Ghazal and Warrap states to quickly embark on dialogue so that the people of both communities can leave in peace and harmony,” he said.
“I also would like to call upon the state leaderships to focus most specifically on ensuring that there is an investigation into what went wrong, the human rights violations and how eventually, through dialogue, accountability and justice can be provided,” he added.
Mamure assured both states that the UN is ready to support them on those processes.
The UNMISS coordinator acknowledged the scale down of the humanitarian assistance in the state due to the global challenges facing the delivery.
“We know clearly that given the challenges in the world, humanitarian assistance has reduced,” he said. He also commended the State Ministry of Agriculture and FAO for working together in providing tools and seeds to the entire Western Bahr el Ghazal state.