Rights group Amnesty International said in a new report released today that South Sudan army burned, shelled and systematically looted homes between January and May this year, deliberately killing civilians and forcing thousands from the Shilluk tribe to flee in Upper Nile.
“Even considering South Sudan’s history of ethnic hostility, the mass displacement of the Shilluk ethnic minority, almost in its entirety, is truly shocking,” said Joanne Mariner, Senior Crisis Response Adviser at Amnesty International.
The group further said it has gathered satellite imagery showing the destruction of homes and other civilian objects in the central areas of Wau Shilluk, including a traditional temple or Radd.
Amnesty International pointed out that its researchers interviewed 79 victims and eyewitnesses to abuses at a camp for displaced persons camp in Aburoc, and in the UN Protection of Civilians (PoC) site in Malakal in late May and early June.
The group's report revealed that government troops often deliberately killed civilians, shooting them in the back when they tried to flee.
The rights group noted that Aburoc camp in Upper Nile lacks sufficient water for the need of the displaced families, adding the camp is ill-suited to be a long-term refuge for large numbers of displaced persons.
“Bereft of food and belongings, Shilluk civilians will need humanitarian aid to return home. But most of all, UN peacekeepers must be prepared and adequately resourced to ensure that their security will be protected,” said Donatella Rovera, Senior Crisis Response Adviser at Amnesty International.
Government officials could not immediately be reached for comment