Over 800 civilians killed between April and June, says UNMISS

UNMISS photo

The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) on Thursday said that at least 887 people were killed between April and June across the country.

The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) on Thursday said that at least 887 people were killed between April and June across the country.

In a quarterly report, UNMISS Human Rights Division said it documented more than 417 incidents, involving at least 1,620 civilians who were subjected to one of the four major forms of individual harm reported in South Sudan.

The new report presents an overview of trends in violence affecting civilians in the second quarter of 2020, by assessing four major forms of individual harm experienced throughout the conflict (killing, injury, abduction and sexual violence).

According to the report seen by Radio Tamazuj, at least 887 civilians were killed, 531 injured, 176 abducted and 26 were subjected to sexual violence.

The report said between January and March 2020, 275 incidents were documented, involving at least 1,767 civilians, in which 658 were killed, 452 injured, 592 abducted and 65 were subjected to sexual violence.

"The overall number of civilians affected by violence decreased by 8 per cent, despite an increase by more than half (52 per cent) in the number of incidents compared to the previous period," the report added.

It stated that inter-communal violence involving community-based militias/civil defense was the main form of violence accounting for more than 86% of all victims in the second-quarter report.

"As a result of the pervasive involvement of heavily armed community-based militias/civil defense groups, supported in some circumstances by organized forces, intercommunal violence continued to have devastating consequences on local populations," the report said.