Nairobi (agencies)
About 600 civilians were killed following the outbreak of clashes in South Sudan between August and December last year, according to what the United Nations announced yesterday, accusing armed militias of launching indiscriminate attacks. Tens of thousands of people in Upper Nile State, in the far north, were forced to flee their homes and take refuge in swamps near the river to escape violence between armed groups.
The United Nations Mission in South Sudan and the United Nations Human Rights Office documented “indiscriminate attacks, kidnappings and sexual violence, including rape, recruitment and use of children in hostilities, committed by parties to the conflict.” The two bodies confirmed in a report summarizing their conclusions that they recorded “884 civilian casualties, 594 of whom were killed and 290 injured. In addition, 258 people were kidnapped and 75 women and girls were subjected to sexual violence.” The report stated that more than 62,000 civilians were displaced due to the confrontations, identifying at least 22 people who may bear the greatest responsibility for these violations.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, said: “I call on the government to take immediate measures to ensure that all those responsible are held accountable before the judiciary,” describing the violations documented in the report as “grave.”
Since its independence from Sudan in 2011, the newest country in the world has been plunged into successive crises, including a devastating civil war that lasted 5 years and resulted in the deaths of about 400,000 people.
#United #Nations #civilians #killed #attacks #South #Sudan #year