The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has strongly condemned reported orders attributed to military commander Gen. Johnson Olony, warning that inflammatory rhetoric urging indiscriminate violence is placing civilians at extreme risk amid escalating conflict in Jonglei State.
In a statement, UNMISS said it is gravely concerned by reports that a senior military leader has urged troops to target civilians, at a time when more than 180,000 people have reportedly been displaced by renewed fighting in Jonglei and surrounding areas.
The mission noted that communities across Jonglei and other parts of South Sudan are enduring immense suffering due to intensifying hostilities, including direct military confrontations between forces aligned with the main signatories to the Revitalized Peace Agreement.
“Inflammatory rhetoric calling for violence against civilians, including the most vulnerable, is utterly abhorrent and must stop now,” said Graham Maitland, Officer-in-Charge of UNMISS.
UNMISS warned that such statements, if acted upon, would constitute serious violations of international humanitarian and human rights law, further eroding civilian protection and deepening an already dire humanitarian crisis.
Despite repeated public commitments by South Sudan’s leaders to uphold peace, the UN mission said ceasefire violations and armed confrontations continue unabated, undermining confidence in the peace process and prolonging civilian suffering.
The mission urged national leaders to demonstrate genuine leadership by halting the fighting, restraining armed forces and allied groups, and fully implementing their obligations under the peace agreement.
“UNMISS urges the country’s leaders to put the interests of their people first by stopping the fighting and upholding their commitments under the peace agreement,” Maitland said.
He emphasized that this includes a return to consensus-based decision-making, respect for power-sharing arrangements, and agreement on a clear, inclusive pathway to peacefully conclude the transitional period through dialogue.
UNMISS reiterated its call on all armed actors to refrain from targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure, stressing that protection of civilians remains at the core of its mandate and warning that those responsible for violations may be held accountable.
