South Sudan declares state of emergency amid deadly inter-communal clashes

South Sudanese President Salva Kiir has imposed a six-month state of emergency in Warrap State and Mayom County following a surge in deadly inter-communal clashes over cattle and access to scarce water and grazing land.

The violence,which has intensified in recent months—particularly in Tonj County—has claimed hundreds of lives,with over 200 deaths recorded in March alone. The clashes are exacerbated by environmental pressures such as droughts and floods,highlighting the fragile balance between climate,livelihoods,and security in the region.

The emergency announcement on Thursday,June 5,follows the appointment of a new governor in Warrap,tasked with restoring order in areas ravaged by lawlessness and cattle theft.

The United Nations has called for urgent national intervention to prevent the situation from escalating further,as fears of a broader conflict mount amid existing political instability. Ongoing tensions between President Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar,particularly after Machar’s arrest in March,have rekindled concerns of a return to civil war,just seven years after a conflict that claimed an estimated 400,000 lives.