Destroyed cities, scorched earth – the severe human rights violations must be punished!

The Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) accuses all conflict parties in South Sudan of serious human rights violations and demands that those who are responsible must be punished. "It is not enough to sign a truce and leave the persons responsible for massacres, rapes, looting, arson and abuse of child soldiers to go unpunished," said the STP's Africa-consultant, Ulrich Delius, in Göttingen on Thursday. According to estimates by the STP, more than 600,000 people have fled from the fighting since December 15, 2013. "Many regions of South Sudan have experienced more violence and destruction during the past four weeks than during the 38 years of war against Sudan from 1955 to 1972 and from 1983 to 2004. The warlords' ruthlessness and brutality against the civilian population are close to crimes against humanity – simply to secure their power."

510,000 people are on the run within South Sudan and 91,000 people from South Sudan have sought refuge in neighboring countries since a struggle for power broke out between the South Sudanese President Salva Kiir and his former Vice President Riek Machar. Entire cities such as Bor, Bentiu and Malakal are in ruins because most residents abandoned their homes after a wave of lootings and arson. Frequent changes of the frontlines have increased the plight of the civilian population and the extent of destruction. For example, control over Bor has shifted four times – from the South Sudan army to the rebels under Riek Machar and back again twice.

According to eyewitnesses, all conflict parties have committed serious human rights violations. Many of the traumatized refugees reported on massacres against unarmed members of the Dinka and the Nuer, who were suspected of supporting the respective opponents simply because of their ethnicity. Parliament members from Bor fear that more than 2,500 inhabitants of the city were killed in the fighting. All elderly people who refused to leave their homes were killed – and there are many women among the victims, who were not able or willing to flee because of their young children. The dead bodies of 14 women were found in a church building.

Both warring parties accuse each other of war crimes while insisting to be innocent themselves. Thus, the South Sudanese government accuses the rebels groups of killing 127 patients of the hospital in Bor. "Given the reluctance of both conflict parties to admit human rights violations committed by their troops, it will be extremely difficult to bring to justice those who are responsible for the crimes," fears Delius.

Header Photo: Oxfam International/Flickr