JUBA – Over 750 people, including soldiers and foreign nationals, have been killed in gun-related violence in different parts of South Sudan last year, a civil society organisation’s report reveals.
The report by the One Citizen Network for Democracy (OCND) indicates that gun violence claimed the lives of 755 people across the country, underscoring the persistent struggle with insecurity despite a fragile peace agreement.
Released under OCND’s Truth Lab flagship project on gun violence and extremism, the report reveals that the victims included 657 civilians, 81 soldiers, and 17 foreign nationals. The foreign nationals, mostly traders, were killed in ambushes while transporting goods across various parts of the country.
The study documented 234 incidents of gun violence during the year, driven largely by cattle raiding, land disputes, communal clashes, and ambushes. Other causes included accidents and suicides, with some cases resulting in mass displacement, abductions, and the destruction of property.
The report’s gender breakdown shows that among those killed were 43 women, 18 children, and 712 men. It further notes that women and children were frequently victims of abductions and other abuses during attacks by armed groups.
While the Revitalized Peace Agreement signed in September 2018 brought temporary calm after years of civil war, OCND’s findings suggest that violence remains widespread, especially at the community level. The report attributes this persistence to the weak implementation of the peace deal, political inertia, and the limited financial and logistical capacity of the government to enforce security and rule of law.
“Despite the peace agreement, gun violence continues to persist in communities across the country,” the report states. “This has led to a fragile security situation with armed individuals and groups perpetrating attacks and violence.”
Most of the perpetrators, OCND noted, are armed youth with no clear political agenda or affiliation to any organized movement. However, their actions have resulted in grave human rights violations, including killings, injuries, displacements, and livestock raids.
The report also highlights the inadequate response capacity of the police and security forces, citing shortages in trained personnel and logistics, as well as a lack of strategic prioritization in addressing subnational and intercommunal conflicts.
OCND warns that without stronger institutional and community-based interventions, gun violence will continue to undermine peacebuilding efforts and development across South Sudan.
“The persistence of gun-related violence,” it concludes, “reflects the fragility of the country’s security architecture and the urgent need for comprehensive disarmament and accountability mechanisms.”
