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13 August 2024 (New York) – A total of 713 civilians were killed, 478 injured and 252 abducted in South Sudan between February 16 and July 15, 2024, the UN Secretary-General said in a report submitted to the Security Council on Tuesday.
The report, which covers political and security developments, the humanitarian and human rights situation and progress in implementing UN mandates, also noted 272 incidents of arbitrary arrests and detentions, including 12 unlawful detentions.
The report said the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) documented 408 incidents of violence affecting 1,727 civilians, including 157 women and 184 children.
The Secretary-General’s report attributes 76 per cent of the incidents to community militias or civil defence groups, 28 per cent to government security forces and other armed groups, and 6 per cent to unidentified armed elements.
A further 41 extrajudicial killings and 25 violations of civic and political space involving 49 individuals were documented, allegedly by Government security forces and state and county authorities.
The report said incidents of livestock-related intercommunal violence, including killings and abductions, continued to affect the security situation in the country, particularly in Jonglei State and the tri-state border area of Warrap, Lakes and Unity States.
Tensions were reported in Western Equatoria, Upper Nile, Unity and Jonglei States.
The report welcomes ongoing political dialogue, including between the parties and non-signatory groups at the Juba High-Level Standing Committee Forum and the Nairobi Tumani Initiative, saying it is key to ending the transition period.
The Toumani Initiative is a high-level mediation effort in South Sudan that has united parties and groups to ensure an inclusive, localized process that is modeled on Pan-African policies and African solutions to African challenges.
The Toumani Initiative reportedly provides a basis for the inclusion of non-signatory groups with a view to maintaining peace and will complement the implementation of the Revitalized Agreement, stressing that the initiative should help to reach consensus and compromises that can be adopted in party discussions and consolidated within the framework of the 2018 Peace Agreement.
Concerns have been raised about the conflict in Sudan and its impact on neighbouring countries such as South Sudan, particularly the influx of more than 700,000 returnees, refugees and asylum seekers, which has added to the pressure on local communities already facing dwindling resources.
(English stone)
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