The Local Government in Warrap State has rejected the recent quarterly report by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) that documented significant levels of communal violence across the country.

The UNMISS report, released on Monday, informed that hundreds of incidents affecting civilians, including conflict-related sexual violence, occurred between July and September 2024.

According to the report, Warrap State accounted for 60 percent of the total civilian casualties during the period, marking the highest number of victims killed and injured. However, the report also highlighted that the majority of abductions, constituting 69 percent, took place in Central Equatoria State.

Speaking to Radio Tamazuj, Warrap State Information Minister William Wol acknowledged that parts of the state have experienced communal conflicts in recent years but argued that the UNMISS figures were inflated. He emphasized that in recent months, violence has decreased due to the flooding in the region and the deployment of security forces.

“We have deployed forces from SSPDF’s Division 11, and as a result, there is now relative peace in the Greater Tonj East area,” he stated. “So, the UN or UNMISS has exaggerated the figures, placing Warrap State at 60 percent of communal violence across the nation.”

The UNMISS report also noted ongoing tensions between government security forces and splinter groups of the National Salvation Front, which continue to pose a threat to security and the protection of civilians across the Greater Equatoria region. Radio Tamazuj