UN sounds alarm over South Sudan’s ethnic tensions

United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein. PHOTO | FILE 

By JOSPH ODUHA in Juba

In Summary

• Several leaflets with hateful messages were last week found outside the gates of humanitarian organisations in Awiel West, Northern Bahr el-Ghazal State
• The leaflets, purportedly authored by individuals from the Dinka community, warned the Equatorians to leave Bahr el-Ghazal or be eliminated
• President Salva Kiir recently said the leaders from Equatoria should take the responsibility and stop the ambushes along the highways in Central and Eastern Equatoria.

A United Nations agency has warned about the rising tensions between South Sudan’s Dinka and Equatoria communities.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mr Zeid Ra’ad al Hussein, said in a statement the tensions could explode into mass atrocities if leaders from both sides failed to immediately defuse them.

Mr Hussein identified the factors responsible as including ethnic rhetoric, hate speech and outright incitement to violence by sections of the two groups.

He said several leaflets with graphic hateful messages were last week found outside the gates of humanitarian organisations in Awiel West, Northern Bahr el-Ghazal State.

Northern Bahr el-Ghazal is the home of South Sudan Army Chief of General Staff Paul Malong.

Mr Hussein said the leaflets, purportedly authored by individuals from the Dinka community, warned the Equatorians to leave Bahr el-Ghazal or be eliminated.

“Retaliation attack must begin right now! One Nation, One People slogan is dead. The consequences will be graphically and horrifically huge,” read one leaflet dated October 14.

Community leaders

The UN official called on the political leaders to urgently condemn the incitement to violence and take action to remedy the situation.

Mr Hussein noted that an Equatorian staff member of a humanitarian organisation was attacked in Aweil Town on October 16, prompting the evacuation of at least 92 Equatoria aid workers from the area and 12 from Bor towns respectively.

“I urge President Salva Kiir and all political and community leaders with influence to urgently and unambiguously condemn the incitement to violence and to take urgent measures to defuse the tensions,” he said.

He said the threats were in reaction to the killing of an unconfirmed number of Dinka civilians travelling to Juba by bus along the Juba-Yei and Nimule highways on October 8 and October 10 respectively.

President Salva Kiir recently said the leaders from Equatoria should take the responsibility and stop the ambushes along the highways in Central and Eastern Equatoria.

President Kiir claimed that the regional leaders have the capacity to address insecurity concerns.