By Anak Dut

Tonj North and other parts of Greater Tonj have long been strack by cattle raids and revenge killings, both among local communities and neighbouring regions such as Unity and Lakes states.

Authorities have been working tirelessly to disarm  these armed groups but these efforts have met with limited success.

Last week, the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) issued a warning to illegally armed youths in Tonj North and Mayom counties, urging them to surrender their firearms or face forceful disarmament for those that will disregard the directive.

The directive came following the deployment of joint operation forces to enforce a state of emergency declared by President Salva Kiir in Warrap State and Mayom County in early June in a bid to mitigate the rising violence and heightened tensions in the areas .

Edmund Yakani, the  Executive Director of CEPO strongly condemned  the deadly armed cattle raiding in Tonj North cattle camp on Monday, at time when the order was in place.  

The attack resulted into the death of 15  people and injuries to 24 others.

“Unfortunately, this cattle raiding is taking place  in the face of the declared state of emergency by the president, which covered Warrap State and Mayom County of Unity State. This is clear proof to what we say state of emergency  may not be a comprehensive and a durable solution to matters of armed, deadly cattle raiding or communal violence,” the activist said.

Yakani described a state of emergency as a short term measure, urging for a durable solution amidst the comprehensive disarmament of armed communities.

“If we are to carry out disarmament under the state of emergency that was declared  for Warrap State and Unity County, then we need to undertake the disarmament in a comprehensive manner  that covers Warrap and Mayom County. This is because if we disarm one community,  that disarmed community may become or fall vulnerable to neighbouring communities that are not disarmed,” Yakani added.

He cited the recent report by The City Review, where some armed youth had started surrending their weapons voluntarily in Warrap State.

However, Yakani said the escalating violence driven by cattle raids raises concerns about the effectiveness of the government’s intervention strategy in restoring peace and stability in the two regions.