20 January 2014 - Aiming to deter violence against civilians, an integrated UNMISS team recently intensified patrols in high tension areas in Lakes State.

The team, comprising of military liaison officers and the Nepalese Force Reserve Battalion spent four days in Panawach in Rumbek East County, in line with the mission’s mandate to deter violence through various methods including active patrolling.

Panawach locality is an area that has been the scene of violence several times since the killing of Paramount Chief Aparer in August 2014. Increased revenge fights in recent week resulted in the decision to conduct a “long-duration” patrol.

According to Military Liaison Officer Samuel Loilewen, gathering information is part of the mission’s early warning strategy. He added that the presence of UNMISS in high-tension areas also works as a catalysis to prevent people from fighting.

“Based on collected information, UNMISS comes up with a response mechanism in an attempt to stop violence from erupting,” he said. “We also share our findings with the police, army and government so that all actors can work together to help avoid clashes.”

The team also conducted another one-day patrol in Toc, another locality in the county. Cattle keepers migrate to the area during the dry season in search of grazing lands and water. However, this sometimes results in conflict when rivaling communities come to the same place.

Visiting the area to establish which communities were already there and to assess the situation, the team met with the Gony community chief and elders.

“The security situation at the moment is good,” said Chief Tuol Aparer. “Right now only a part of the Ruop community has arrived, with whom we live peacefully.”