UNITED NATIONS, USA
At least 440 civilians died in fighting between warring groups in southwestern South Sudan in just a few months last year, the United Nations said on Tuesday.
"Grave human rights
violations and abuses, including hundreds of killings, were committed against
civilians during fighting in Tambura County, Western Equatoria State,"
according to a joint report by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan
(UNMISS) and the UN Human Rights Office.
It said that between June and
September last year, at least 440 civilians were killed, 18 injured and 74
abducted during clashes between rival groups.
At least 64 civilians were
also subjected to conflict-related sexual violence, among them a 13-year-old
girl who was gang-raped to death, the report said, while at least 56 people
were also reported missing during the June-September period.
In addition, some 80,000 were
forced to flee their homes to escape fighting, it said.
"Looting and destruction of property, child conscription, attacks on personnel and facilities, hate speech and incitement to violence were among the other human rights violations the investigation uncovered."
The report blamed members of the armed forces loyal
to President Salva Kiir and rivals in the Sudan People's Liberation
Movement/Army in Opposition (SPLM/A-IO) of Deputy President Riek Machar, and
"their respective affiliated militias".
“We call on all parties to the conflict to hold to
account all individuals implicated in the killings, rape and abductions, among
other grave human rights violations,” UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
Michelle Bachelet said in a statement.
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