The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) says that the South Sudanese army (SPLA) has consistently blocked its human rights investigators from visiting scenes of reported atrocities, following a government offensive in Unity State last month.

UNMISS made this allegation in a human rights report released today. The peacekeeping mission said that its Human Rights Division is “pursuing efforts to interview victims, survivors and witnesses and investigate sites of the alleged violations.”

“Following the recent attacks, UNMISS has contacted SPLA to gain access to reach the scenes of the extensive violence – as much of the violence has occurred in rural locations without any UNMISS presence – but access was regularly denied.”

The report adds, “Indeed, during the period when most of the attacks took place, the SPLA had imposed restrictions of movement on UNMISS and humanitarian actors, thereby preventing possible human rights investigations and humanitarian action in affected locations.”

“This has caused delays in human rights investigations and the loss of crucial information.”

Photo: Ellen Loej, Head of UNMISS