South Sudan’s justice minister rejected accusations of human rights violations in government controlled areas made by rights officials in Geneva during a summit last week.

Minister Paulino Wanawilla Unago, speaking to press in Juba upon his return from Geneva Thursday, said the accusations were made in a way that no one can prove.

Wanawilla noted that most of the accusations leveled against his government have no basis of evidence. He claimed the reports did not identify any victims, or list names of authors.

He said his government has accepted to work with the African Union Commission of Inquiry to investigate human rights abuses in the South Sudan.

“They talk about our intercommunal fighting as kind of ethnic issues, and sometimes their reports are hearsay and heard from someone,” Wanawilla said.

The South Sudan Human Rights Commission (SSHRC) in a report released last week stated that reports of ethnic massacres in Juba touched off clashes and killings elsewhere in the country.

“Initial reports of ethnic massacres seem to have been the reason why at the early stage the conflict quickly assumed an ethnic dimension although the two fighting forces deny this,” the report read.

Related:

Human rights chief says ethnic fear worsens S Sudan war

Radio Tamazuj Photo: Justice Minister Paulino Wanawilla Unago speaks to the press upon his return from Geneva

To contact Radio Tamazuj with press releases, comments or information, write to radiotamazuj@gmail.com with full name and contact information.