By James Innocent
The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has held a one-day consultative forum with civil society organizations in Yei River County to discuss key security and humanitarian challenges affecting local communities.
The meeting, led by UNMISS Team Leader James Mugo Murithihi, brought together UNMISS officials from Juba and representatives of civil society groups operating in Yei. Discussions focused on persistent insecurity, displacement, and constraints facing humanitarian operations.
Speaking during the forum, Archangello Modi, a leader of the Yei Civil Society Network, raised concerns over frequent attacks on civilians along major roads by armed groups. He said the situation has created fear among residents and restricted freedom of movement.
Modi also highlighted the ongoing conflict in Panyume area of Morobo County, noting that the violence has displaced many civilians, some of whom have fled to neighboring Uganda in search of safety.
Civil society members further reported cases of kidnapping of humanitarian workers and increased incidents of robbery, which they said continue to disrupt the delivery of essential services to vulnerable communities.
They warned that restricting humanitarian partners from accessing villages would worsen the suffering of civilians who rely heavily on aid services.
Another civil society representative, Baiga Isaac, called on UNMISS to take note of the multiple challenges raised and to strengthen its engagement with communities.
Meanwhile, Lokule Santo, a civil society member working with the Intergovernmental Platform for Children Services (IPCS) under the child protection unit, emphasized the importance of protecting both civilians and humanitarian workers.
He noted that access to some areas within the county remains extremely difficult due to security risks.
Yeka Joel, also representing civil society, urged UNMISS to support local organizations through dialogue initiatives and training, particularly in conflict-sensitive and responsible reporting.
In response, UNMISS officials assured participants that the mission would increase its presence in Yei and continue engaging regularly with civil society to address emerging challenges.
The officials encouraged civil society members to share timely and accurate information and to strengthen coordination by linking community actors with UNMISS to improve early warning and response mechanisms.