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The reported killing of at least 100 people in South Sudan has prompted fears of a spiral into yet more violence.
Hundreds of people, including women and children are feared to have been killed and injured in the latest inter-tribal clashes in the Jonglei district.
Children’s organisation Plan International, which has been carrying out emergency work in Jonglei for the last few months, says it is concerned over further escalation of violence and more revenge attacks.
“We need to stop this spiral of violence which is pulling many people into it. These brutal attacks are causing massive displacement of people and great anxiety and suffering,” said Acting Director of Plan, Dominic Mutabazi.
“We are particularly concerned about the impact upon children who are witnessing and being caught up in this conflict. Urgent mediation and negotiations are needed to tackle this conflict and it will mean additional humanitarian assistance.”
A large number of children have been abducted during these raids which has pitted the Lou Nuer tribe against the Murle ethnic group. Both sides steal each other’s vital cattle in the raids, prompting increasingly brutal retaliations. The proliferation of automatic weapons in the area in recent years has made the disputes more deadly.
There has been a spike in attacks since December 2011 and recently entire villages and schools were burned to the ground. Several thousand people are believed to have been killed since the latest conflicts began and an estimated 50,000 people displaced.
Through partnership with WFP and PIA, Plan has an on-going programme in Pibor and Jonglei state where it is helping some 50,000 affected and displaced people and also around 4,500 children in school feeding programmes.
Mr Mutabazi said that long-term solutions and offering alternatives for the young men involved in the attacks are vital for a peaceful future.
Providing relief in Jonglei presents a unique problem to humanitarian agencies. Much of the state is flat and swampy land, and the road network is poor or non-existent. Large areas become completely unreachable every year when the rains start in April.
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