The United Nations has announced that around 600 civilians were killed in South Sudan between August and December last year, in a series of violent confrontations. The UN accused militias of sexual slavery and random attacks.
Tens of thousands of people in the Upper Nile state were forced to flee their homes, seeking refuge in nearby swamps to escape the violence between armed groups. The UN Mission in South Sudan and the UN Human Rights Office documented what they described as “random attacks, kidnappings, sexual violence, including rape and gang rape, sexual slavery, and the recruitment and use of children in hostilities, committed by parties in the conflict.”
In their report summarizing their findings, both entities recorded 884 civilian casualties, including 594 deaths and 290 injuries. Additionally, 258 individuals were kidnapped, and 75 women and girls suffered sexual violence.
The report identified at least 22 individuals who might bear the greatest responsibility for these violations. Over 62,000 civilians have been displaced due to the conflicts.
Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, called for immediate government action to ensure that all perpetrators are brought to justice, describing the violations documented in the report as “grave.” According to the French Press Agency, Türk warned that “impunity will only entrench the dire human rights situation in the country.”
South Sudan, the world’s newest nation since its independence from Sudan in 2011, has been plagued by successive crises, including a brutal civil war that lasted five years, resulting in nearly 400,000 deaths. A peace agreement was signed in 2018, but violence continues to erupt periodically between government forces and opposition, with ethnic conflicts in troubled parts of the country causing numerous civilian casualties.
Nicholas Haysom, the UN Envoy to the country, welcomed the deployment of unified forces, including former rebels and government troops in the region, stating that it demonstrates the authorities’ steps to prevent the resumption of confrontations and protect civilians.
