South Sudan: Death rarely comes alone, estimated 382,000 killed in the 2013-2018 Civil War!

Just as the times goes, the fatigue of all the cease-fire violations. The high numbers of refugees to Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia and Sudan is baffling alone, as the year-long internal conflict in South Sudan has been costly, but to keep control of the numbers and study them must have taken time. As these estimation is accurate, but reveal a certain amount of deaths to an extent that could be believable. That because of the numbers of Refugees who has fled the civil war in 2013 to 2018.

The South Sudan has been in dire needs ever since, therefore the United Nations Mission in South Sudan and the other Intergovernmental Authority for Development (IGAD) mission to are in-charge for different reasons, as well as various international organizations who are coming in with the needs of the people in the Republic. As the massive violations against the people, the continued civil war and the killings done by government soldiers, from rebels or from militias themselves. There are just so many lives touched by this conflict, into numbers so vast, that its hard to imagine. This are people that could have been our neighbors, brothers, sisters or even class-mates. All left planet earth because of the ambition and the need for total control by the leadership in Juba. This because the state are using violence to get all control and all power. However, that has had a cost. So, many lives has been lost.

As explained by Professor Checchi:

They then applied a statistical model to estimate the death rate and death toll attributable to the war in South Sudan from its start in December 2013 to April 2018, and the number of people killed during the same period. The analysis covered the population living within South Sudan at any point during the above period and excludes both refugees to South Sudan and South Sudanese refugees abroad. An estimated 1,177,600 deaths due to any cause occurred among people living within South Sudan during the period, while the team estimated 794,600 deaths would have occurred in the absence of the war, yielding an excess of 382,900. Nearly 190,000 people were estimated to have died of violent injuries. Professor Checchi said: “It is clear that the war has severely affected the health of the South Sudanese population, and that the humanitarian response to the crisis has been insufficient. Inadequate resourcing and sub-optimal performance of humanitarian services should be addressed urgently” (LSHTM, 2018)

These numbers are showing possible amounts of deaths, it might be more, might be less. Whatever it does show and signs in the sand. As there are no coherent numbers made and collected of all the battles between the SPLA(SSDF) and the rebels. These numbers could have been different, but not like the state has collected the head-count or even tried to show it. As this acts of impunity would make their enterprise look even worse, than they want to be. Since, President Kiir wants to look good, as he needs donors and his budget needs funds from stakeholders, they need promise and prospects. They do not need the deaths and tragedies.

Therefore, he could get away with that, as the public have been preoccupied with the refugees and silencing the guns, without knowing the consequences of all the skirmishes, operations and the continued civil-war in the Republic. Peace.

Reference:

London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) – ‘War in South Sudan estimated to have led to almost 400,000 excess deaths’ 26.09.2018 link: https://www.lshtm.ac.uk/newsevents/news/2018/war-south-sudan-estimated-have-led-almost-400000-excess-deaths

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Adjust UN force in Abyei to current realities, peacekeeping chief urges Security Council (21.09.2018)

Amidst an increase in criminal activity in the Abyei area, which is contested by Sudan and South Sudan, the United Nations top peacekeeping official on Thursday called for deployment of additional police units, to enhance the UN’s focus on maintaining law and order there, and furthering peace between local communities.

DAKAR, Senegal, September 21, 2018 – The proposed additional personnel – both formed police units and individual officers – are within the current troop ceiling authorized for the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA), Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, told the Security Council.

UNISFA was established by the Security Council in 2011, amid deteriorating tensions in the Abyei region – a resource-rich area contested by the two neighbouring countries – shortly before South Sudan became independent. It is tasked with monitoring the flashpoint border, facilitating delivery of humanitarian aid, and is also authorized to use force to protect civilians and humanitarian workers in the region.

In his briefing to the 15-member Security Council, Mr. Lacroix presented a set of recommendations to adjust UNISFA to the current situation on the ground to allow it to best support the Governments of Sudan and So

The “modest adjustments” would enable the UN peacekeeping mission to better support border demarcation efforts by the African Union Border Programme, including the “much-needed” sensitization of border communities, said the senior UN official.

The recommendations envisage the establishment of two further sector headquarters and team sites with the “Safe Demilitarised Border Zone” to make the border region safer and more secure.

“Troops would be transferred from the Abyei area to achieve full operating capability for the border monitoring mechanism,” elaborated Mr. Lacroix, noting that such a move would harmonize the “diminishing military threat with the corresponding-reduction in military need” for the region.

Mr. Lacroix also briefed the Council on progress made by the Governments of Sudan and South Sudan towards implementing the benchmarks outlined in resolution 2412 (2018).

The benchmarks include freedom of movement for UNISFA air and ground patrols, an improved joint border verification and monitoring mechanism, the joint political and security mechanism, border crossing corridors, and border demarcation.

South Sudan in their efforts to reach agreement over the region and it’s future.

 

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