The United Nations’ top human rights official has accused South Sudanese government troops and rebels of ethnically targeted atrocities, during renewed fighting over the last month.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein said yesterday that preliminary findings showed that the majority of crimes including extrajudicial executions and rapes, against people of Nuer origin, were carried out by troops loyal to President Salva Kiir.
Zeid said Of 217 cases of sexual violence in Juba recorded by the UN between July 8th and 25th, those most affected were displaced Nuer women and girls and those responsible seem to have been mostly government troops.
Michael Makuei, South Sudan’s Information Minister has said that the government will hold troops accused of crimes accountable.
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.