By Alan Clement
A new report from One Citizen Network for Democracy (OCND) has revealed an increase in gun violence across South Sudan, with over 800 people killed in the first six months of 2025.
The OCND’s “Truth Lab Project Biannual Report, titled “The Dangers of Gun Violence Attacks in South Sudan Biannual, which was released on Tuesday, indicated 114-gun violence incidents recorded between January and June 2025.
According to the report, out of 877 deaths, 277 were civilians (nationals), 597 were soldiers, and three were foreign nationals.
The report linked the surge in violence to inter-communal conflict, cattle raids, criminal activity, and government counter-insurgency efforts, which paint a grim picture of lawlessness in some parts of the country.
“Despite efforts by partners and the government to reduce conflict in most parts of the country, cases of gun violence persist,” OCND Executive Director Kiden Stella said in a statement.
According to OCND’s statement, the statistics are a grim reminder of how entrenched the violence has become in the social fabric of South Sudan.
In addition to the fatalities, which have increased from 755 deaths in 2024 reports to 877 in the first half of 2025, the violence also resulted in 515 injuries, with 490 men, 17 women, and 8 children affected.
OCND identified armed youth as the principal perpetrators, responsible for 60 (52.6%) of all incidents, followed by lone attackers (25, 21.9%) and rebel groups (13, 11.4%).
“Armed youth crossing into neighboring territories to raid and settle scores have become a major threat,” OCND noted in a statement.
A geographical breakdown shows that the incidents were concentrated in all ten states and three administrative areas. Lakes State and Warrap State were hit hardest, each recording 22 attacks followed by Eastern Equatoria State (15), Central Equatoria (14), Jonglei (12), and Upper Nile (7) incidences respectively. Other affected areas include Western Equatoria with (5), Abyei administrative area (4), Ruweng Administrative Area (3), and both Unity State and Western Bahr-el Ghazal State with 3 incidents respectively.
Civil society activist Daniel Laat, State Coordinator, CEPO, attributed the high number of cases particularly in Warrap and Lakes to cattle theft or cattle raiding especially around border areas. “This insurgence in border areas especially between bordering counties of Cueibet, Tonj South or Tonj East plus Rumbek North, most of these conflicts start with cattle theft or cattle raiding followed by revenge attack later,” he said.
He stressed that several attempts have been made by NGOs to bring the communities to dialogue unfortunately, according to Daniel, many resolutions are not being implemented by all the parties involved. He recommended community-led dialogues to in order to end the surge in conflicts.
“I’m calling on partners to come in and engage the community to be the one initiating the dialogue because most of the dialogues fail because maybe they are being pushed by the government or by the partners. Dialogues that have lasted long have are the locally initiated ones,” Laat added.
The violence is further exacerbated by deep-seated political instability and a lack of rule of law, weak law enforcement and underfunded judiciary systems across the country which have allowed armed groups and militias to act with impunity.
The OCND report recommends a multifaceted strategy to curb the violence including prioritizing Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration (DDR) programs to reduce the number of firearms in circulation, strengthening the judicial system and law enforcement agencies to ensure accountability and justice for many victims.
“Without a strong rule of law, peace will remain elusive,” said the OCND statement, stressing the need for justice systems that are adequately funded and empowered to prosecute offenders.
At the community level, the organization advocates for localized peacebuilding efforts to promote dialogue and reconciliation among conflicting groups. OCND further recommended government investment in agriculture and essential public services seen as means to address widespread poverty and high youth unemployment, which continue to fuel conflict
The report also appealed for the launch of media literacy campaigns aimed at curbing hate speech, disinformation, and harmful narratives that inflame tensions.
The OCND report emphasizes that tackling gun violence in South Sudan requires a comprehensive strategy. This includes disarmament, judicial reform, community peacebuilding, economic development, and media literacy. Without coordinated efforts across these areas, the cycle of violence is likely to worsen
One Citizen Network for Democracy (OCND) is a legally registered, women-led, youth-focused non-governmental organization with the Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (RRC), founded in 2021 with its headquarters in Juba, South Sudan. The organization’s work and programs are not for profit but for the benefit of the communities in South Sudan.