July 10th 2018 (Nyamilepedia) – The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has accused unnamed three South Sudan commanders loyal to the Government of president Salva Kiir of caring out civilian massacres in Southern Unity State between March and May 2018.
The UN agency said today in a report that it has identified three commanders suspected of bearing the “greatest responsibility” in the violence in Unity state between April 16 and May 24 that may amount to war crimes.
The new report released today by the UN office said 232 civilians were mercilessly killed and 120 women and girls gang-raped, by the Government troops in the town of Mayendit and Leer respectively, in the course of April and May.
The report said elderly and disabled civilians were burned alive in the attacks on 40 villages, which appeared aimed at driving out opposition forces, in the southern region of unity state which has been under the control of opposition forces loyal to the country’s former First Vice President, Dr. Riek Machar, calling on the international community to bring to book those responsible.
“There must be consequences for the men who reportedly gang-raped a 6-year-old child, who slit the throats of elderly villagers, who hanged women for resisting looting, and shot fleeing civilians in the swamps where they hide,” said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein.
In April, the government forces were accused of killing civilians and displacing elderly people.
The reports reiterates that civilians were pursued to the swamps where they were killed or raped by government soldiers and allied Bull militias.
