Some of the lawmakers from WES who attended one-day meeting to address the situation in the state - credit | Alex Misogo | Eye Radio - Oct 22, 2021

At least 40 legislators representing Western Equatoria State at the national legislature have called for a peace conference in Tambura County to address the root cause of the conflict there.

The UN says the conflict between two armed groups erupted in June, killing over 200 people and about 100,000 others displaced to mostly Ezo, Nzara, Yambio, Nagero and Wau.

It accused the SPLA-IO and SSPDF in the state of fueling the conflict between two communities in the area.

Last month, the UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan revealed that over 100 civilians were massacred in the violence in August.

It stated that some of the victims – mostly women and children – were “raped and sexually violated before being murdered”.

In an attempt to end the conflict, the lawmakers asked the national government and its partners to organize a peace conference there.

Angelo Beda – a prominent politician and a member of the Council of States representing Tambura County– spoke on behalf of his colleagues:

“We have requested for a peace conference to be held in Tambura as soon as possible. It will be financed by UNDP. The government is already there. The minister of defense have sent a strong team there. So the guns are silence.”