ESCALATION OF VIOLENCE PUTS THOUSANDS OF CIVILIAN LIVES AT RISK AND COMPROMISES PEACE PROCESS
Channel: UNMISS VIDEOS
Date: 2018-05-03

Hundreds of women, children and elderly have sought sanctuary next to this small United Nations base after fleeing a surge in violence across the Unity region of South Sudan.

SOUNDBITE: INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSON (Arabic): 
“People outside are being killed. Sometimes they hang you. Someone tried to hang me on a tree but luckily I fell down and ran to the United Nations base.”

The fighting has been brutal, causing immense suffering. This little girl was shot during the clashes.  

Many humanitarian workers have pulled out of the area because of ongoing fighting between Government and Opposition forces.

The UN’s Special Representative of the Secretary-General has flown in to talk to the warring parties in the hope they will lay down their weapons and build peace.

SOUNDBITE: SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE SECRETARY-GENERAL & HEAD OF UNMISS, DAVID SHEARER: 
“The intensification of the conflict on the ground has this huge human impact. A little girl with a bullet, fortunately went right through her stomach and out her back and she’s still alive but that’s just one example of dozens around here and we know that hundreds, if not thousands, of people have fled into the swamps and are living on islands, living on wild vegetables and fruit just to try and stay alive and stay out of the conflict at the moment.”

Leer town is held by the Government, which blames rebels and young cattle raiders for the violence.

SOUNDBITE: SOUTHERN LIECH DEPUTY GOVERNOR, JOHN MATIP GATLUAK: 
“We tell them to listen to the word of our President so that we can go to the negotiating table to discuss and to see a possible solution without a fight and I hope peace is here. We are the people who will bring peace.  Together with our President and leadership, we will bring peace.”
Just a few miles away in Opposition territory, they say the Government is targeting people in villages across the region. The local governor says the community is desperate for peace.

SOUNDBITE: SPLM-IO LIECH ACTING GOVERNOR, GENERAL JOSEPH NHIAL:
“The soldiers come and look for the IO soldiers. They come and kill the old women, the children, the old men. They destroy everything. They burn all the houses, they destroy everything, including the borehole which is now broken. When they are finished and go back, people cannot come and get water here.”

UNMISS is intensifying its patrols to protect civilians and to monitor and report human rights violations. It is supporting the safe delivery of humanitarian aid and will continue to work alongside local communities to end the hostilities and build durable peace for the sake of the people.