State and the Greater Upper Nile region.
The groups said an immediate cessation of hostilities would halt coercive recruitment of civilians, allow displaced people to access humanitarian assistance, and create a conducive environment for dialogue and the peaceful implementation of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS), including the resumption of the Tumaini Initiative.
Civil society leaders also strongly condemned what they termed dangerous rhetoric by political and military leaders, warning that such language could incite mass killings of civilians. They urged communities in Jonglei State to reject ethnic and tribal narratives being promoted by some leaders amid the ongoing conflict.
Furthermore, the statement called on the national Ministry of Peacebuilding, in collaboration with state governments, to urgently address inter-communal, intra-communal, and age-set conflicts in Northern Bahr el Ghazal, Central Equatoria, Western Equatoria, and GPAA, including tensions linked to the presence of Ambororo groups.
The networks commended humanitarian organizations for their continued support to displaced and vulnerable populations across the country and appealed for sustained assistance in light of growing humanitarian needs.
The statement was issued jointly by civil society networks from South Sudan’s ten states, Greater Pibor Administrative Area, and Ruweng Administrative Area.
