South Sudan’s civil war now amounts to genocide, with abuses perpetrated along tribal line, according to a senior British official.
International Development Secretary Priti Patel urged African leaders to take action to end the ongoing war in which tens of thousands of lives have been lost.
Patel, who visited Juba this week, said there is a “scorched earth policy”, and described the situation as “absolutely abhorrent and inhumane.”
During her visit to South Sudan, Patel met with President Salva Kiir, whose government is accused of blocking food aid.
She further said South Sudanese villages are being reduced to ashes, women are being raped and food is being used as a weapon of war.
Patel said this in an interview with the Associated Press in Uganda, where she also visited a refugee camp which accommodates more than 800,000 South Sudanese refugees. “It’s tribal, it’s absolutely tribal, so on that basis it’s genocide,” said Patel.
She urged the African Union to stand up for its fellow African brothers and sisters. “This is about international pressure,” Patel said.
“Where is the voice of the African Union? This is an African Union that was created to give strength to Africa. “Where is that voice? Why are they not standing up for the people that are being massacred over the border who are their fellow African brothers and sisters?”
The British official stressed that regional leaders should make use of a national dialogue plan to pressure President Kiir to stop the cleansing and reach a peace deal.