By Matik Kueth
A Civil Society activist has called for urgent government action to end renewed violence between communities in Duk and Twic East counties of Jonglei State, warning that continued inaction could allow the conflict to persist.
In a statement extended to King Media on Friday, Bol Deng Bol, Chairperson of the National Civil Society Coalition, said authorities had received warning signs of possible attacks, including mobilization by communities on both sides, but efforts to prevent the violence had failed.
“There were indicators recently of this attack, of the imminence of this attack, and because we realized, you know, some sort of mobilizations that were taking place also on both sides, not only this side of Wernyol or Twic East, but also on the side of Duk,” Bol said.
He stated that the latest violence was part of a recurring conflict that has continued despite repeated calls for government intervention and efforts by civil society and communities to find a lasting solution.
“You know, this is a recurring conflict that has been ongoing for a long time, and we’ve been talking about it, you know, talking against it and pushing the government to do what needs to be done. There have been attempts, we cannot deny, but most of these attempts have not borne fruit, and this is one of the reasons this conflict has persisted,” he stressed.
Bol condemned the violence and said the government must move beyond temporary interventions to address the underlying causes of the conflict.
He accused successive Jonglei State administrations of failing to act proactively despite repeated warnings and suggestions from civil society on how the dispute could be resolved.
Bol also warned against political actors exploiting community tensions for political and military mobilization, saying such actions could deepen the conflict and expose civilians to further harm.
He said women, children, elderly people, persons with disabilities and communities whose livelihoods depend on the affected areas were bearing the consequences of the violence.
Bol appealed to the caretaker government in Jonglei to make resolving the conflict a priority and pursue dialogue between the affected communities.
“I want to appeal to the caretaker government to prioritize resolving this conflict through dialogue and also to be very, very aware of the tendency, this common tendency of politicians coming in to use this conflict to consolidate their political and military might,” he noted.
The civil society leader underlined that authorities should act decisively to prevent further attacks and break the cycle of violence.
He expressed hope that the caretaker administration would take the renewed conflict seriously and work toward a lasting resolution.
“We are very much disappointed, but we want to have a bit of hope that this particular caretaker government will prioritize this issue and address it head-on to stop this violence once and for all,” he emphasized.