Violence between the Lou Nuer and Murle communities, initially over water and grazing land, has displaced 140,000 people
NAIROBI (AlertNet) – A disarmament campaign is due to begin on March 1 in South Sudan’s troubled Jonglei State but there are fears it could worsen tensions, the United Nations says.
A deadly cycle of inter-ethnic violence between the Lou Nuer and Murle communities, initially over water and grazing land, has displaced 140,000 people in recent months.
The government disarmament campaign would initially be a voluntary exercise, the United Nations said in an update on South Sudan
It added that there would be a strong emphasis on "sensitisation" - raising community awareness about the disarmament process and building people’s confidence so that they voluntarily surrender their arms.
But there is a risk the campaign could backfire.
South Sudanese troops, sent to Jonglei ahead of the campaign, withdrew under fire last week, the United Nations said, “after a group of Lou Nuer youth misinterpreted sensitisation statements”.
Earlier this month, the Lou Nuer ethnic militia, known as the White Army, said it planned to launch a major operation to secure its territories against the Murle.
“Disarmament efforts could contribute to increasing tensions in an already tense environment,” the United Nations added.
“Jonglei’s rival communities are wary of relinquishing their weapons, regardless of government promises to carry out disarmament simultaneously in each area.”
The U.N. update cited unconfirmed reports that three people were killed near Yuai on Feb 18-19 after 200 Lou Nuer confronted around 300 Murle.
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