Lawmakers in South Sudan’s Transitional National Legislative Assembly and the Council of States should debate ongoing violence in Warrap State and Western Equatoria State, Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) said in a petition on Thursday.
The call comes in the wake of a recent inter-communal violence in South Sudan’s Warrap State, which left more than 30 people dead and 80 wounded.
The violence among communities in Tonj East and Tonj North counties in Warrap has led to loss of lives, properties and displaced people.
CEPO expressed concerns on the situation in Tambura County of Western Equatoria State, where political violence is ongoing.
According to the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), violence in and around Tambura has forced more than 40,000 people to flee their homes.
“The numbers of deaths among civilians and displacement of population due to violence is disturbing, especially at this particular moment when the country’s political leaders say they are implementing the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in South Sudan,” CEPO said in the petition extended to Sudan Tribune Thursday.
“It is contradicting to see lawmakers attending debates while undermining on-going inter-communal violence in the constituencies they represent,” it added.
The civil society organization urged the country’s lawmakers to conduct a specific parliamentary session on the on-going violence in Warrap state and in some parts of Western Equatoria state.
It further appealed to the legislators to undertake field visits to the conflict-affected areas and summon line ministers to explain why violence is occurring among communities in the country.
Additional calls were also made to the South Sudanese presidency to issue directives for immediate actions aimed at preventing the on-going deadly violence among communities.
According to reports, the routine of intercommunal clashes in South Sudan prevails due to lack of an efficient justice system.
Source: Sudan Tribune