United Nations Human Rights Commission has accused South Sudan’s political and military leaders of fuelling inter-communal violence leading to the death of hundreds of locals.
At least 700 South Sudanese have died between January and June 2020 in the Greater Jonglei region as communities went on a spree of violence and killings. The office of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan in its report asked the government to hold some of its politicians and military responsible for procuring and distributing arms to local militias.
Martha Hurtado, spokesperson for the U.N.’s human rights office said the violence in the region is hydra-headed and comes from a range of involvements, from local traditional leaders to the military.
The report by the UN advised the national government to work strongly towards ensuring the release of abducted women and children.
It also advised that the government speed up the process of a unified army as provided in the 2018 Peace Agreement in order to mitigate against future violence.