Africa-Press – South-Sudan. A report by the United Nations Human Rights Commission indicates that grave human rights violations and abuses, including hundreds of killings, were committed against civilians during fighting in Tambura County.
The joint report launched on Monday by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and the UN Human Rights Office stated that between June and September 2021, at least 440 civilians were killed, 18 injured, and 74 abducted during clashes between warring groups. At least 64 civilians were subjected to conflict-related sexual violence, among them a 13-year-old girl who was gang-raped to death.
In addition, some 80,000 were forced to flee their homes to escape fighting. Looting and destruction of property, child conscription, attacks on personnel and facilities, hate speech and incitement to violence were among the other human rights violations the investigation uncovered.
The report named members of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army in Opposition (SPLM/A-IO) and the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF), led by Major General James Nando, and their respective affiliated militias, as responsible for the violations and abuses.
The UN human rights investigation identified 31 individuals who may bear the greatest responsibility for violations and abuses committed during the conflict in Tombura, including high-ranking military officials and community and religious leaders suspected of instigating, facilitating and aiding the violence.
Michelle Bachelet, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, called on parties involved in the conflict to hold to account individuals implicated in the killings, rapes, and abductions, among other grave human rights violations.
She urged that “women and children who were abducted must immediately be released and reunited with their families, and survivors should be provided with reparations,” she urged.
“Allegations against these individuals must be promptly, thoroughly, and independently investigated, and perpetrators brought to justice and held accountable,” Bachelet added.
Bachelet and UNMISS have urged the government of South Sudan to investigate and prosecute those responsible, including individuals in positions of command and authority.
Lam Paul Gabriel, the military spokesperson of SPLA-IO, welcomed the report of the UN Human Rights Commission, stating that the reports will help them improve on how to move forward.
He acknowledged that the violence in Tombura started as a political violence between the SPLA-IO and SSPDF after Gen. James Nando defected from the SPLA-IO.
Before Nando defected, there was no violence in Tombura. When Nando defected, he gave the SPLA-IO a few hours to leave Tombura, and he attacked the cantonment side belonging to the SPLA-IO in Namutina. That resulted in the continuation of violence between Nando’s forces that were already under the SSPF and the SPLA-IO, said Lam in an interview with The City Review.
“But we all know that this violence later on changed from becoming political violence to tribal violence. So, the tribal nature of this violence also shouldn’t be left out, “he stated.
However, while contacted for comment yesterday, Lul Ruai Kong, SSPDF spokesperson, texted The City Review that “the top brass of the military requires time to carefully go through the report before I can respond.”
The Human Rights Commission stated that during the investigation it found evidence of the SPLM/A-IO’s involvement in the conflict, as well as the militarization of youth from two ethnic groups. It identified SPLM/A-IO Major General from Tambura County who directly exercises leadership control over this group of armed militias.
During interaction with HRD, regarding the involvement of his forces in human rights violations, the major general deflected command responsibility and stated that his forces “cannot be controlled in the heat of the moment,” HRD noted.
In any case, he would be held accountable for failing to take all required steps to prevent or prosecute criminal activity. Furthermore, at least two of the group’s commanders are known to exert effective command and control over members of their ranks, including those participating in human rights breaches and abuses, according to the commission’s report.
Similarly, the UN Human Rights Commission named three high-ranking military officers (a major general and two deputies)—a Brigadier General and a Lieutenant Colonel from the SSPDF—as being responsible for the report’s serious human rights breaches.
In March 2020, the Major General, together with his loyal soldiers and ranking officers loyal to him, including the two military officers involved in the report, defected to the government and the SSPDF.
According to the investigation, the major general had effective command and control over individuals under his command and was responsible for serious human rights violations along ethnic lines and youth who refused to join his forces, particularly through forced recruitment.
It accused him of commanding targeted human rights violations against tribal adversaries and SPLM/A-IO affiliated persons in the months leading up to the outbreak of violence in June, as well as throughout the conflict, in the areas of Source Yubu, Tambura, and between Tambura and Namutina, resulting in deaths and displacements.
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