JUBA, South Sudan — President Salva Kiir has declared a six-month state of emergency in Warrap State and Mayom County, following a sharp escalation in deadly inter-communal violence fueled by longstanding disputes over cattle, water access, and grazing land.
The presidential decree, issued Thursday evening, authorizes security forces to deploy additional troops to the restive regions, enforce curfews, and conduct disarmament operations aimed at halting what officials described as a “breakdown in community cohesion and security.”
“The government cannot stand by as civilians are killed, displaced, or live in constant fear,” said Presidential Spokesperson Ateny Wek Ateny in a national address.
“This measure is necessary to restore law and order.”
The violence, which has surged over the past two weeks, has left dozens dead and thousands displaced. Local authorities report that heavily armed youth militias from rival clans have clashed over raided cattle and access to seasonal grazing lands — a pattern of violence that has plagued rural parts of South Sudan for years.
In Mayom County, Unity State, nine people were killed and ten others injured during a retaliatory attack believed to be rooted in a personal dispute that spiraled into clan conflict. In Warrap, officials described “unrelenting cycles of revenge killings” between rival pastoralist groups.
“We are overwhelmed,” said Lt. Gen. Lual Wek, a regional commander overseeing deployments to Warrap. “Without a full security mandate and resources, we are simply responding to violence, not preventing it.”
Analysts say the emergency declaration underscores the fragility of South Sudan’s local governance and security structures, especially in rural areas where state authority remains weak and communities rely on informal justice systems and armed self-defense groups.
“South Sudan’s local conflicts are deeply intertwined with national politics and governance failures,” said Jok Madut Jok, a South Sudanese scholar and former government adviser.
“Without long-term disarmament and reconciliation programs, these state-of-emergency declarations are Band-Aids over deep wounds.”
The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) issued a statement Friday expressing concern over the violence and calling for all parties to prioritize protection of civilians. Humanitarian groups warned that the violence risks worsening displacement and disrupting food aid operations at the start of the rainy season.
“We are already seeing displacement into areas with limited humanitarian access,” said James Ouma, a field officer with the Norwegian Refugee Council.
“If this continues, the cost will be borne by the most vulnerable.”
President Kiir’s move comes at a politically sensitive time, as the country prepares for its first national elections since independence in 2011.
Critics fear the emergency powers could be used to suppress dissent or delay preparations for the vote.
Nonetheless, lawmakers in Juba quickly endorsed the decree, and the Council of Ministers pledged additional resources for security operations.
For many in the affected regions, however, the priority remains survival.
“People are tired of the killing,” said Nyandit Chol, a displaced resident from Tonj North. “We want peace — not soldiers who come after everything is already destroyed.”
