![A man seen holding gun at an unknown cattle camp in South Sudan. [Photo via Radio Tamazuj]](https://i0.wp.com/www.sudanspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Herder.jpg?resize=850%2C371&quality=89&ssl=1)
The finding is contained in its latest brief on violence against civilians, which also revealed a similar increase in incidents of conflict-related sexual violence.
The data was compiled from sources including victims and eyewitness accounts, as well as reports from secondary sources identified during field missions, service providers, and protection partners.
Last year, UNMISS documented 1,019 violent incidents affecting 3,657 civilians. Of this total, 1,561 were killed and 1,299 injured, while 551 people were abducted, including at least nine humanitarian workers.
Additionally, 246 civilians were subjected to conflict-related sexual violence. This represents a 15 percent increase over the 885 violent incidents documented in 2023 and a nine percent increase in the number of victims.
UNMISS stated that armed communal violence by community-based militias and civil defense groups remained the primary cause of harm to civilians, accounting for nearly 80 percent of victims.
Warrap state recorded the highest number of civilian deaths and injuries, predominantly attributed to community-based militias and civil defense groups, while Western Equatoria state documented the highest number of sexual violence incidents.
Most abductions occurred in Central Equatoria state, mainly allegedly by members of National Salvation Front splinter groups, followed by Jonglei state, allegedly by armed elements from the Murle community.
Nicholas Haysom, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for South Sudan and Head of UNMISS, emphasized the urgent need for action.
“Protecting civilians and preventing violence requires urgent action by authorities at the national, state and local levels as well as by communities to address the root causes of conflict and find non-violent solutions,” he said.
He stressed the critical need to promote dialogue, reconciliation, and social cohesion to defuse tensions and build trust.
Noting the primary responsibility of the Government of South Sudan to protect civilians, UNMISS called on national and state authorities to take appropriate measures to end violence, defuse tensions, and hold perpetrators accountable.
The UN Mission supports these efforts through thousands of peacekeeping patrols annually and by supporting community efforts to promote reconciliation and peacebuilding through dialogue, actively assisting political and peace processes.
South Sudan, which gained independence from Sudan in July 2011, soon after descended into civil war.
Fighting erupted in December 2013 between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and opposition forces led by his rival Riek Machar, resulting in hundreds of thousands of deaths and millions displaced. A 2018 peace agreement ended the conflict and established a unity government.
The UN has been warning against a potential return to full-scale war amid rising tensions, including the recent reported detention of Machar and fresh mobilization of the army and opposing armed groups in some regions.
Haysom briefed the UN Security Council on Wednesday, stating that the sharp deterioration in the political and security situation threatens to undo peace gains made in recent years.
