Witness testimonies and other evidence of human rights violations have been gathered by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and compiled into a human rights report, published 8 May 2014.

The report covers the period since 15 December 2013 and was prepared by the peacekeeping mission’s Human Rights Division (HRD).

Its publication follows an earlier interim rights report released on 21 February 2014. This report is based primarily on over 900 interviews with victims and witnesses, among others,

Radio Tamazuj is publishing parts of the report section by section. Here is presented the section of the report on human rights abuses in Jonglei state.

Jonglei State

88. Witnesses report that, between 22:00 and midnight on the night of 15 December, the commander of the Auxiliary Police in Bor ordered Nuer police to confiscate all guns in the barracks, located just east of the UNMISS compound in Bor town. Around 03:00, Nuer police reportedly began looting the properties of their disarmed Dinka colleagues and harassing them. At least two Dinka policemen were injured, and the families of Dinka police fled the barracks out of fear. By the morning of 16 December, approximately 40 women – the wives of Dinka Auxiliary Police – had arrived at the gates of the UNMISS compound in Bor, seeking physical protection and shelter with their children.

89. On the night of 16 December, two Dinka brothers were allegedly killed in their home in eastern Bor town by unidentified assailants. While the motive behind the killing and the identity of the perpetrators remain unknown, news of the incident spread quickly, causing alarm among civilians.

On 16 and 17 December, Government authorities in Bor continued to try to calm tensions and keep the peace in the town. On 17 December, as news of fighting spread, approximately 500 people sought shelter in the UNMISS base in Bor town overnight.

90. The signal event in Bor occurred in the early morning hours of 18 December, when fighting erupted at key military installations in the SPLA 8th Division Headquarters at Panpandier and Malualchat military barracks, south of Bor town. Hundreds of Government soldiers fled and some were reportedly injured or killed in the process.

Civilian residents of Panpandier village, located next to the military barracks, are reported to have fled to a nearby forest. It is believed that some civilians may have been caught in the cross-fire though the extent of casualties has not yet been ascertained.

91. Bor town fell under the control of opposition forces on 18 December, after the Commander of the SPLA 8th Division, Major-General Peter Gadet, defected along with most of his Nuer soldiers. By the afternoon of 18 December, these defected SPLA and other security forces entered Bor town, and approximately 12,500 civilians entered the UNMISS PoC area over a period of three hours.

92. As in the other locations around South Sudan where there has been fighting, Bor town subsequently changed hands several times. After taking over the town, Mr. Machar’s forces controlled Bor for a mere seven days, with Government forces re-taking control over Bor from 25 to 31 December.

The entire town of Bor was vacated in the first week of fighting and, by 31 December, approximately 7,000 people were seeking protection in the UNMISS Bor PoC site. Mr. Machar’s forces, which reportedly included child soldiers, regained control for about three weeks, from 31 December to 18 January, at which point the SPLA retook Bor town, maintaining control since.

The forces which re-took Bor town were observed to consist of approximately 60 percent Ugandan troops and 40 percent SPLA.

93. Many parts of Jonglei State have been affected by the fighting, including counties north of Bor. UNMISS has made a number of attempts to reach these areas, but required security assurances have often not been provided by the SPLA. By 17 April, over 200,000 people were displaced in Jonglei State and by 22 April, over 4,800 civilians were seeking protection in the UNMISS PoC site in Bor.

94. The following section provides an overview of humanitarian law and human rights violations that occurred in Bor town and surrounding areas as the conflict raged, as well as description of attacks on a church, a hospital, and two United Nations bases.

Fighting in Bor South County

95. On 19 December, opposition forces established a headquarters and claimed control of Bor town. At this time, the rule of law and any semblance of public order dissipated, with Bor town descending into chaos.

96. Various officials of the civilian Government in Bor, including the Bor County Commissioner and the Bor Mayor, were reportedly attacked. At approximately 17:00, the Deputy Governor and others called UNMISS to report that Government officials were under attack and to request evacuation by UNMISS.

By approximately 19:00, Government officials, including the Caretaker Governor, the Deputy Governor, and State Ministers, arrived at the UNMISS camp in a large convoy without UNMISS escort. Reportedly the convoy was attacked while en route by unknown perpetrators. The HRD has not been able to confirm details of the alleged attack on Government officials that led them to seek protection at UNMISS.

97. Law enforcement personnel loyal to the Government were attacked by opposition forces at both the police station and the prison in Bor. The two facilities are across town from each other, demonstrating that the fighting moved through town, endangering civilians, especially those attempting to flee.

One witness who had fled town on the morning of 18 December told the HRD that he returned to the town to collect some personal belongings in the afternoon. On his way back, he said that he was caught in a crossfire between opposition forces and the SSNPS on the road in front of the police station, sustaining a serious wound to his right thigh. He pretended to be dead until the fighting stopped and the armed actors had left.

98. Bor Prison reportedly came under attack by opposition forces that same afternoon. Prison personnel interviewed by the HRD in both Bor and Awerial reported that the attackers wore uniforms belonging to the SPLA, SSNPS, and Wildlife Services, while one witness also mentioned seeing attackers in Fire Brigade uniforms.

Approximately one hour later, prison officials realized that they would not be able to hold off opposition forces and they decided to release the prisoners. Subsequently, prison personnel and prisoners fled. Multiple sources indicated that both prison personnel and prisoners were killed, although it is unclear whether they were killed in the cross-fire or were targeted.

The attack reportedly resulted in the deaths of at least five Dinka prison personnel and 5 Dinka prisoners, including one woman.

99. On 5 March, UNMISS found the prison deserted except for one decomposed body. On 13 March, officials reported that five prisoners including one woman had died in the attack, and that one prisoner who had been held in leg chains had subsequently died of dehydration.

They reported to UNMISS that there had been 271 inmates at the prison on the morning of the attack. The officials did not say how many prison officers had died in the attack itself, but reported that 56 prison officers in total had been killed in the course of the conflict.

100. During the initial days of violence, there was extensive looting and some destruction of property in Bor town, by both uniformed individuals as well as civilians. Witnesses reported that Nuer soldiers broke into the Kenya Commercial Bank and Equity Bank and stole large sums of cash. United Nations staff observed bags of American banks notes being carried into the PoC area.

Foreign traders told the HRD that they were threatened and their shops looted by opposition forces. One foreign shopkeeper remarked, “They said to us, ‘Do you want your life or the money?’ and so people would turn over all their money to save their lives.”

101. Between 18 and 22 December, Mr. Machar’s forces reportedly also attacked villages to the south of Bor, including Pariak, Malek, and Goy. In Pariak, the armed opposition reportedly engaged in heavy shooting, killing at least two civilians. In the attack on Malek, one witness told the HRD that he had recognized some of the perpetrators as Nuer he had shared Sunday fellowship with.

In Goy, sources reported that at least four elderly people were killed by gunshot. Opposition forces burned everything along the road from Pariak to Goy, looting extensively, including cattle. On 23 December, the number of IDPs in Awerial County, Lakes State, reached over 28,000 people.

102. Despite the many stories of ethnically-motivated attacks during this time, various accounts also emerged of individuals who helped individuals of other ethnicities. One Dinka man told the HRD how his Nuer friend protected him from an attack by opposition forces: “While on the way to UNMISS compound, a group of Nuer army wanted to kill me, but my Nuer neighbour saved me. He told the Nuer rebels, ‘He is my brother, don’t kill him.’”

One Nuer woman recounted how she and her husband fled Bor with a Dinka in-law. The couple eventually spent over a month at a Dinka settlement on an island in the Nile River, their in-laws hiding them and providing food, water, and shelter.

Several Dinka, including a pastor, told the HRD that they were escorted to the UNMISS PoC area by uniformed opposition forces, and other elderly Dinka reported surviving in town during the entire period of fighting.

103. Once Government forces returned to Bor on 24 and 25 December, many Dinka civilians left the UNMISS PoC site. Many Nuer and some other minority groups remained, fearing reprisals from Government forces. During this time, UNMISS received reports that civilians seeking protection at the UNMISS PoC site were attacked and/or killed when they left.

The retreating opposition forces moved north, reportedly attacking villages along the way. Witnesses told the HRD that armed elements – some in civilian clothes and some in uniform – passed through Baidit Payam between 24 and 26 December. As civilians fled to the surrounding bush, some were shot and killed. Those who had returned to their villages after the attacks told the HRD that they found many tukuls had been burned down.

104. Significant information indicates that minority groups and foreigners were the subject of targeted attacks in Bor town between 18 and 29 December, with at least 13 separate incidents. Minorities targeted include the Anyuak, Murle, and Shilluk and foreigners targeted include Ethiopians, Eritreans, Kenyans, and Ugandans.

Reports include allegations of extrajudicial killings, rapes, abductions, and threats to life and physical integrity. While not all of these allegations could be verified, the number of credible reports suggests a pattern of targeting.

105. By the time opposition forces recaptured Bor on 31 December, the town was almost completely empty of civilians. The Government advised people to leave and everyone who could, did. Those who remained were the most vulnerable, including the disabled, elderly, and sick. They hid in their homes or gathered in churches, assuming they would not be targeted.

106. The opposition forces who returned, however, included many more armed Nuer youth, in addition to defected SPLA and other security forces. Several witnesses and victims who were in Bor town in early January, including UNMISS personnel, describe these forces as ill-disciplined and the destruction they caused as more indiscriminate and wholesale than that of December.

During this second period of opposition control, the entire Bor Market was destroyed and, over a series of days, burned to the ground. Any remaining Dinka civilians were at risk of being killed if found. The HRD believes it is during this period that civilians seeking refuge at both St. Andrew’s Church and Bor Hospital were attacked and killed, as discussed below.

107. While opposition forces controlled Bor town, from 31 December to 18 January, they pushed south, and heavy fighting occurred between Government forces supported by the UPDF and opposition forces along the Bor-Juba road.

Between 11 and 16 January, UNMISS is aware of several instances of aerial bombardments by Ugandan forces in areas south of Bor. UNMISS military personnel in Bor at the time reported hearing loud explosions believed to be anti-aircraft fire from approximately 12 kilometres south of the UNMISS compound in Bor, in the vicinity of Malek, while Human Rights Officers in Awerial County heard air strikes across the river. This is further supported by information received from retreating combatants and opposition forces leadership at the time.

108. On 7 February, the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) found physical evidence of the use of cluster munitions in the Malek area of Bor County, approximately 16 kilometres south of Bor along the Juba-Bor Road (See Secretary-General’s statement on South Sudan of 12 February 2014).

Cluster munitions can be fired in a variety of ways, including by being dropped from aircraft. They explode in the air, each cluster releasing about 150 bomblets over a wide area. Cluster munitions are banned by the Convention on Cluster Munitions as they have wide area effects that do not allow a distinction between combatants and civilians and because they leave behind large numbers of dangerous unexploded ordnance.

Approximately 20 percent of the bomblets fail to explode, but can do so years after they are dropped. Used in areas where civilians are regularly present during or after fighting, they are indiscriminate in their impact. While South Sudan is not a party to the Convention, Uganda has signed but not yet ratified it. Both States have denied the use of cluster bombs.

109. There is no information to suggest that this route south of Bor was occupied at the time by civilians, as most had ample warning that it was an active conflict zone. UNMISS has not yet had the opportunity to visit the villages in the area to assess what damage may have occurred as a result.

110. Reeling from this heavy assault from the south, by 17 January, opposition forces had completely vacated Bor town. The UPDF and SPLA marched into Bor on 18 January, re-establishing Government control, which has been maintained in the State capital since.

111. A comprehensive assessment of Bor town by Human Rights Officers and other Mission components after the Government re-gained control revealed that nearly all of Bor town was depopulated, and that the market had been completely destroyed and some tukuls, perhaps five or 10 percent, burned. The devastation to the town, as well as hundreds of dead bodies, was sufficient to keep the population away.

112. United Nations Operational Satellite Applications Programme (UNOSAT) analysis of images taken on 19 January shows 1,962 destroyed residential and related properties, and 93 warehouse or commercial structures, destroyed.

The destroyed structures were estimated to represent approximately 8.4 percent of the total number of pre-conflict structures in Bor.

113. In late January, local authorities began an effort to collect, identify, and bury the bodies. The HRD coordinated with local authorities to visit incident sites and document evidence prior to removal and burial, where feasible.

With the support of United Nations Police (UNPOL) forensic advisors, the HRD spent several days moving throughout Bor town for this purpose and observed more than 100 bodies, almost all civilian, many women and children.

114. Local authorities have since estimated a total casualty figure of 2,007 individuals killed in Bor County, including those buried by local authorities, those reportedly buried by families, those drowned, and those reportedly missing. According to the authorities, the vast majority of these victims were Dinka; reportedly 50 were in SPLA uniform.

The authorities acknowledge that opposition forces buried Nuer bodies, uniformed and civilian, before leaving town on 17 January. While the HRD cannot verify the local authorities’ figures, it can verify that approximately 525 bodies were buried in collective graves in Bor town organized by the Government.

Moreover, based on HRD interviews and investigations, 2,007 seems to be a reasonable estimate for the number of casualties in Bor County. The HRD is not in a position to determine the Nuer casualties.

Displacement from Bor

115. The HRD interviewed more than 150 individuals who fled their homes in Bor town after opposition forces took control, including Dinka, Nuer, Anyuak, Murle, Shilluk, and foreigners, among others. The sum of these interviews paints a picture of arbitrary killings and other threats to physical integrity, as well as looting, as civilians were fleeing Bor town.

116. One witness described the panic as she ran, telling the HRD that she saw a naked man who had fled from the bath with a gunshot wound, and a woman crying because she had left her baby behind.

Another witness described seeing about five dead bodies as he fled to UNMISS. Of the dead, he recognized only one, a former fighter who had been demobilized and was wearing civilian clothes. As he continued, the witness found another civilian man who had been shot in the stomach and helped to bring him to UNMISS.

117. Many of those who fled sought refuge at the UNMISS base, east of town; by 20 December, an estimated 15,000 people were seeking protection at the UNMISS PoC site. However, many also reported that the way to UNMISS had been blocked by armed opposition soldiers.

The majority of Dinka civilians hid in the bush northwest of town, or fled across the river. By 19 December, approximately 2,000 people had reportedly arrived in Minkaman, Awerial County, Lakes State, fleeing violence in Bor County.

118. According to local authorities who conducted an initial body count in late December, more than 300 civilians, primarily women and children, died while trying to cross the river in the initial days of fighting. Of these, 18 reportedly presented visible gunshot wounds, while others were presumed to have died from drowning.

Many civilians interviewed explained that even those who could not swim had no choice but to attempt to cross the river, as armed men were chasing and firing upon them.

One witness described fleeing across the Nile with his relatives on 19 December. During the crossing, three of his brother's children and his uncle's wife drowned. The witness stated: "We didn't mind to stop because we knew the rebels would kill us."

119. After opposition forces re-captured Bor town on 31 December, civilians continued to flee from the villages of Bor County across the river, seeking refuge on islands in the Nile or crossing to Awerial County, Lakes State. By 10 January, the displaced population in Awerial County was estimated to have reached over 84,000, primarily Dinka, along with some Shilluk, Murle, Anyuak, and other groups.

In addition, some members of the Nuer population left the UNMISS Bor PoC area, to head to the northern counties of Jonglei. By 28 February, when Human Rights Officers met with the County Commissioner of Akobo, he reported that some 18,000 IDPs, primarily from Bor and Malakal, were in Akobo.

By 13 January, approximately 20,000 Dinka from Bor, Duk, and Twic Counties were in IDP sites in Nimule, Eastern Equatoria State. Meanwhile, foreigners and other minorities who were at risk in Bor were evacuated to Juba in January.

120. The HRD conducted three missions to Awerial County, in January, February, and March, interviewing 69 people. Several witnesses who fled across the river to Lakes State in early January told the HRD that armed men chased them to the water’s edge.

Some of the armed men reportedly constructed rafts out of jerry cans, which they used to try to chase the civilians across the river, while the armed men remaining on the shore shot across at the civilians. Many civilians hid in the swamps and on islands, until they could reach safety across the Nile.

One witness described hiding in the water, holding onto reeds with everything but his face submerged, to avoid being shot. A victim recounted being attacked by armed men while trying to cross the river in early January: "They started firing at us. In the process, I was wounded on the thigh and whilst trying to flee, I broke my leg. Another man trying to flee was killed on the spot. Other civilians helped me to arrive to Awerial.”

121. Since January, civilians began returning to Bor town very slowly. At the time of writing, some Dinkas had returned from Lakes State, and small numbers of Nuer and minorities who had been staying at the UNMISS Bor PoC area moved back into town.

This movement increased significantly when the Caretaker Governor returned to Bor with most of his government in March, and traders began operating small businesses again.

In addition to returnees, newly displaced individuals arrived to Bor in late March and early April as a result of attacks in neighbouring Twic East and Duk Counties in Jonglei State, attributed to cattle raids and clashes between SPLA and opposition forces, respectively.

122. On 25 February, an UNMISS patrol observed eight IDP areas between Bor port and Panpandiar, along the Nile River bank, with a total of approximately 2,000 persons, mostly women and children.

On a visit to schools on 27 March, the HRD was informed that while one primary school had recently opened for classes, one was occupied by the SPLA and all other 58 primary and secondary schools in Bor County remained closed.

By 4 April, approximately 85,000 IDPs remained in Awerial County, Lakes State, and on 22 April, just under 5,000 IDPs remain in the UNMISS Bor PoC area.

123. Even though Bor has been under Government control for over two months, the re-establishment of state authority and the provision of basic services has been slow. Until security and services are sufficiently available in Bor and surrounding areas, these displaced populations continue to prefer to stay in a cramped camp or out in the open under trees.

Bor State Hospital

124. Credible information suggests that most medical and other personnel left the Bor State Hospital between 18 and 23 December, fleeing fighting in town or rumours of an impending attack. In the following month, according to two alleged survivors, three people were killed in the Hospital by gunfire coming through a window, although it remains unclear whether the victims were hit by direct fire or were caught in crossfire.

Two sources saw dead bodies in the Hospital, two and three each, although the cause of death of these victims is not known. There are also reports that at least one soldier subjected some women to sexual violence in the Hospital.

125. After the Government regained control of Bor on 18 January, reports emerged that the Bor State Hospital had been attacked. On 19 January, Government officials brought international journalists to the site and in subsequent days, media reported that patients were murdered in their beds.

A Ministry of Health (MoH) team arrived at Bor Hospital on 24 January to assess damage to the Hospital and to make it operational. They reportedly found 14 dead bodies in various parts of the Hospital compound and declared that all of the persons killed at the Hospital were patients.

126. The HRD first visited the Hospital on 29 January, the day after UNMISS security restrictions were lifted and Human Rights Officers were able to leave the UNMISS compound in Bor, and again on 31 January with UNPOL. The team found eight bodies in the mortuary and was told by the MoH team that family members had already claimed six others.

The UNMISS team noted that two bodies had visible gunshot wounds to the head; others were in an advanced state of decomposition – some reduced to just bones – and therefore no cause of death could be determined.

127. The UNMISS team was led on a tour of the Hospital by members of the MoH assessment team, visiting five main sites: the maternity/obstetrics ward where the MoH team had reportedly found the bodies of two pregnant women who were killed there; the Medical Director’s office, which had reportedly been looted with valuables stolen, such as the computer, and where a graffiti drawn on the wall presented a crude picture of a soldier shooting a person with a gun; the medical ward where four bodies (three males, one female) had reportedly been found inside the building, and one outside; the outpatient department, where four bodies had allegedly been found outside the building (one female and three males); and the surgical ward, where three bodies (all male) had reportedly been discovered. During the attack, three ambulances were reportedly stolen and two were destroyed.

128. Most of the rooms where killings had allegedly occurred had been cleaned by the MoH assessment team who used bleach and Dettol on the floors and walls. The bed mattresses or linens also appeared to have been cleaned.

On the grounds of the compound, garbage piles had been burned, but there was still significant debris, including shell casings from fired ammunition in at least two different areas – on the grounds near a looted ambulance and in the wall of the medical ward. There were no casings found by UNMISS in any other alleged killing site.

129. There is therefore some information suggesting that some individuals were killed at the Bor State Hospital. However, the HRD has been unable to determine when an attack occurred, how many attacks occurred, or the identities or affiliations of the perpetrators.

Government sources allege that an attack was carried out by opposition forces and information suggests that patients were threatened by soldiers of Nuer origin during the first period of opposition control of Bor.

St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church

130. According to credible sources, while many civilians fled Bor as the fighting began, some were unable to flee, particularly the elderly, sick, and disabled. By 25 December, approximately 15 to 20 elderly men and women had reportedly sought refuge at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Bor town, a large compound that includes a church, school, and several internal compounds with many tukuls in each.

131. Between 31 December and 11 January, armed men reportedly came to the Church and put several women into a line, pushing at least one elderly woman to the ground. Most of the women were shot.

A survivor, who had also been beaten, pretended to be dead amongst the bodies and remained there, lying on the ground, until rescued by a pastor and an SPLA soldier.

132. Witnesses who went to the Church between 18 and 23 January found approximately 14 dead bodies scattered around the compound. Two sources reported seeing a body with a deep cut across the throat, while another reported a body with a cut on the head. One source reported seeing a knife near a body and others saw several bullet shells.

133. The HRD first accessed the site on 28 January, due to security restrictions, returning on 30 January with UNPOL for a full assessment. The team found thirteen bodies. Other actors, including local authorities, armed actors, Church officials, and family members, had already accessed the site, and bodies had been moved and placed in body bags.

According to sources, 12 bodies were found inside the Church compound, while the thirteenth was found south of the compound. Bullets were seen on the site and an examination of the bodies indicated that at least six of them displayed visible gunshot wounds.

One body exhibited a deep cut to the throat and another appeared to have a wound to the chest. However, the type of fatal injury suffered was not apparent in all victims. Allegations were also received that sexual violence occurred, which the HRD continues to investigate.

134. Information about the number and identities of the perpetrators was inconclusive, although some information suggests that they were armed men of Nuer origin. Opposition forces controlled Bor during the period in question.

Attack on UNMISS Akobo CSB

135. From 17 December, both Dinka and foreign civilians began to seek protection at the UNMISS County Support Base (CSB) in Akobo, in the north-eastern part of Jonglei State.

On 18 December, there were at least 30 non-United Nations personnel in the CSB, the majority of whom were South Sudanese, including the Acting County Commissioner (Executive Director), the Deputy Executive Director, a Payam administrator, and other Government officials, as well as approximately seven international civilians.

Based on the threat analysis and advice of the UNMISS state security and Chief Security Advisor, it had been decided by Mission leadership to extract UNMISS staff and Dinka civilians from the CSB.

136. On 19 December, at 15:00, an UNMISS flight from Nassir arrived in Akobo to deliver supplies. Members of the Indian Battalion (INDBATT) went to the airstrip, about 800 meters away, to meet the flight in two armoured personnel carriers (APCs).

A large crowd gathered around the airport; credible reports suggest that a rumour had circulated that UNMISS was going to evacuate Dinka individuals seeking protection in the CSB from Akobo.

On their return, as the APCs were entering the gate, they were attacked by a large group of armed individuals, including women, wearing a mix of civilian clothing and SPLA and SSNPS uniforms. Some civilians were armed with guns.

137. The armed group forcibly entered the CSB. Witness accounts are inconsistent with respect to the number of attackers, but suggest a range of one to two thousand.

There were over 50 United Nations uniformed and civilian personnel present at the CSB. During the attack, some UNMISS staff hid in a bathroom tent, while others went to an accommodation tent.

Armed men, reportedly including SSNPS, entered the accommodation tent, searched the UNMISS personnel, taking their money and phones, and looted other personal property. There was widespread looting across the CSB.

138. Credible sources indicate that Dinka civilians were targeted and killed by the attackers. The killing of five individuals was witnessed, including the killing of the County Executive Director and Deputy Executive Director, and one international staff member of an international organization.

Two INDBATT peacekeepers were killed and one was left seriously injured. Witnesses report that individuals who were visibly foreign or indicated their status with identification cards were spared.

Witness accounts indicate that the killings were carried out by SSNPS personnel and individuals in civilian clothing, and the SPLA took control of the scene subsequently. Some witness accounts also implicate the SPLA Commander, a Lieutenant Colonel, who was present at the scene.

139. Witnesses indicate that, after the killings, armed men brought UNMISS personnel from their hiding places to an office tent. There, they were guarded by men armed with AK-47s.

At about 1830, the SPLA Lieutenant Colonel came to the tent and the UNMISS personnel were ordered out of the tent and told to sit in a row on the footpath. One witness indicated that UNMISS personnel and other survivors were then counted.

They were subsequently ordered to walk to the SPLA barracks, approximately one kilometre away from the CSB, across the airstrip, purportedly for protection. They spent the night in an open space. At approximately 09:00 on 20 December, the survivors were evacuated by UNMISS from the airstrip to Malakal.

140. On the evening of 19 December, in an effort to resolve the situation, UNMISS officials met with a local official, who was in Bor. The official stated that opposition SPLA forces loyal to General Peter Gadet were responsible for the attack on the Akobo CSB.

The official claimed the SPLA Lieutenant Colonel in Akobo had incited civilians and security forces to attack UNMISS in order to target the Dinka civilians on the CSB. The official facilitated the evacuation of UNMISS personnel and civilians by linking UNMISS officials to the Lieutenant Colonel in Akobo.

141. The HRD interviewed over 20 people who were present in the CSB at the time of the attack. The HRD also undertook fact-finding missions to Akobo on 28 February and 10 March along with other Mission components. Security restrictions prevented the HRD from visiting Akobo earlier.

The site was heavily looted, with all personal effects and UN equipment removed, including computers, desks, chairs, beds, and refrigerators. The site was also thoroughly cleaned, with little remaining physical evidence. The floors of the tents were swept and cleaned, leaving little to no traces of blood or other bodily fluids.

According to local sources, one of the alleged perpetrators arranged for the site to be cleaned ahead of the UNMISS visit. No weapons or casings were found at the site.

142. The team also met with the then Akobo County Commissioner who stated that he was not in Akobo at the time of the attack and therefore had no first-hand knowledge.

He claimed, however, that six South Sudanese civilians died in the attack, in addition to the two peacekeepers. He provided no information concerning the whereabouts of the bodies of the dead.

143. Many civilians were killed in the attack. Due to the chaotic circumstances and the inability of survivors to observe the full attack as their movements were restricted, the HRD has not been able to determine an exact figure of fatalities.

However, any Dinka civilians not evacuated by UNMISS are presumed dead, and at least 20 civilians, as well as two peacekeepers, were killed. Two witnesses indicated that the bodies of the dead, save for the UNMISS peacekeepers whose bodies were evacuated by UNMISS, were taken by the perpetrators to an unknown location.

Despite several requests by UNMISS, the local authorities have not provided any information regarding the location of any bodies.

Attack on UNMISS Bor Camp

144. The situation had been largely stable for weeks in Bor when, on 17 April, a large group of at least two hundred individuals, including Dinka youth, approached the UNMISS compound under the guise of peaceful demonstrators intending to present a petition to UNMISS demanding the evacuation of “Nuer White Army youth” from the camp within 72 hours.

As the group advanced to the UNMISS compound, however, it did not proceed to the main gate but moved directly to the PoC site. Uniformed SPLA and SSNPS personnel nearby did nothing to stop the advance. As the mob approached the PoC site, projectiles such as rocks and other objects were thrown over the berm walls.

Firing started almost immediately and the mob breached the perimeter of the PoC site – it is not known at this time which occurred first. Approximately 5,000 IDPs were seeking protection in the site at the time.

UNMISS military returned fire, from both static positions and mobile forces. This use of force killed several attackers, caused the remaining mob to retreat, and saved many lives.

145. Human Rights Officers were present in the PoC site when firing broke out. They assisted IDPs to cross the barbed wire perimeter to safety and attended to the wounded until medical assistance arrived.

Human Rights Offices then documented the scene, including by taking photographs and identifying victims. The HRD continues to investigate the incident, although many witnesses remain too traumatized to provide information. Due to the security situation in Bor town, the HRD has been unable to visit to assess reported casualties at Bor Hospital.

146. The HRD has determined that at least 51 people were killed in the attack (25 male and 26 female; 38 adults, 4 adolescents, and 9 children), with the death toll likely to rise. The vast majority of victims were Nuer IDPs. 46 of the victims were found inside the UNMISS compound while two were found outside.

An additional three people passed away after being transported to Juba for medical treatment. To date, it is not known if some IDPs ran out of the UNMISS PoC site during the attack.

147. Despite calls for accountability by President Kiir and the Caretaker Governor of Jonglei State, and despite the fact that the identities of many individuals involved in the attack are known, there have been no arrests in connection with the attack.