The United Nations accused the Sudan People’s Liberation Army and it armed opposition of committing war crimes, in a report released last week.
The report by the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and the UN Human Rights Office states that 900 people were abducted and 24,000 forced to flee their homes in the Western Equatoria region of South Sudan, as violence flared between the two sides.
“Most of the abducted civilians are, as far as we know, still being held captive. The pro-Riek Machar Sudan People’s Liberation Army in-Opposition (SPLA-IO (RM)) must immediately release them, first and foremost the children,” said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet.
“As part of the revitalised peace process, it is also essential that the Government of South Sudan acts to hold the perpetrators of the abuses and violations detailed in this report to account.”
“The abuses in the U.N. report are horrendous and stress the devastating impact that the continued impunity by forces has had on civilians, especially women and girls,” Nyagoah Pur, a Human Rights Watch researcher told the AP, calling for a hybrid court in South Sudan to prosecute for human rights abuses.
