The United Nation Mission in South Sudan or UNMISS met key media houses in Malakal to discuss how to report inter-communal violence over land and grazing in Upper Nile.
The meeting brought together people from different organizations including the Criminal Investigation Department or CID, journalists from different media houses, officers from South Sudan National Police Service and UNMISS Police Section and government officials, Voice of Love reported.
UNMISS Protection of Civilians Advisor Welmoet Wels said the Mission focused on the inter-communal violence since its mandate was to strengthen and advise the government on civilians’ protection.
Ms Wels says Upper Nile hosts nomadic and pastoralist communities during the dry season.
She added that during the migratory season incidents of inter-communal violence occur regularly with multiple casualties, looting and cattle theft, which in turn provoke retaliatory attacks.
Ms Wels disclose that UNMISS carried out an analysis on inter-communal violence in Malakal and along the Nile and Sobat rivers to evaluate how it affected the livelihood of people.
The UNMISS advisor said reconciliation talks and peace agreements supported by local chiefs and state authorities helped to mitigate conflicts and significantly reduced the number of inter-communal incidences in the last two years.