The United Nations’ top human-rights official has accused South Sudanese government troops and rebels of ethnically targeted atrocities, including extrajudicial executions and rapes, during renewed fighting over the last month.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein said on Thursday that preliminary findings showed that the majority of crimes were carried out by troops loyal to President Salva Kiir, who is from the Dinka ethnic group, against people of Nuer origin.
Of 217 cases of sexual violence in the capital, Juba, recorded by the UN between July 8 and 25, “those most affected were displaced Nuer women and girls and those responsible seem to have been mostly SPLA [government troops]”, Zeid said.
Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-in-Opposition (SPLM-IO), the main armed opposition group, has also been blamed for atrocities, but to a lesser extent.
Almost 300 people, including at least 73 civilians ,were killed in the recent fighting.
Tens of thousands of South Sudanese civilians were forced to flee the country, mainly into neighbouring Uganda.
More than 1.6 million people in total have been displaced in the country from the conflict.