HSS 2023: Summary findings from Jonglei State, South Sudan

Main recommendations to local authorities, UNMISS, and NGOs/CSOs

• Revitalizing the Pieri Action Plan | PAX calls on national and local government officials, chiefs and local civil society to revitalize the Pieri Action Plan and to bring rivalling communities from across Jonglei State together in a comprehensive peace process that seeks to address the current high levels of communal violence. Focus should be placed on de-escalation and prevention with sufficient follow-up and contingency planning to withstand potential stalling and spoiler groups.
• Supporting local security arrangements | PAX calls on national and local government officials to embark on a round of comprehensive planning related to local security arrangements on the state and county levels together with UNPOL, UNDP, INGOs and CSOs. This exercise should cover training, equipping, and improving the deployment
  strategies and community responsiveness of law enforcement agencies. The training and deployment of the Unified Forces provides an important first opportunity in taking up this responsibility.
• Improving civilian disarmament exercises | PAX calls on national and local government officials, as well as the organized forces not to engage in (forceful) civilian disarmament exercises, before certain preconditions are met, such as (1) ensuring that communities are informed and sensitized to plans for the upcoming disarmament, (2) confirming that communities will not experience increased short-term or long-term vulnerability as a result of disarmament, (3) making certain that sufficient police forces are trained and equipped so as to ensure a community’s security and protection prior to disarmament, 4) guaranteeing that the forces executing the disarmament will be disciplined and will avoid using force, and 5) taking measures to prevent the spilling of arms back into the communities, among other necessary actions.