The latest allegations of United Nations failings came in a Human Rights Watch (HRW) report published Monday which said peacekeepers did nothing as women were raped, civilians murdered and foreign aid workers targeted during the most recent deadly flare up that killed hundreds in Juba last month.
Advertisement
Several women were raped, men were beaten and a South Sudanese journalist was shot dead in cold blood. A report put together by the hotel’s owner and reviewed by the Associated Press alleges that at least five women were raped during the incident and details reports of torture and mock executions.
The attack came just as people in Juba were thinking the worst was over.
During the attack on the Terrain, several survivors told the AP that soldiers specifically asked if they were American.
Dak said the majority of opposition forces remained loyal to Machar and only a small percentage of them would follow Gai’s directive to integrate into government forces.
South Sudan, the world’s youngest country, has been mired in violence and poverty since its independence from Sudan in 2011.
“I think there will be considerable worldwide pressure for the perpetrators of this attack to be held to account”, said Bryce.
But it also threatened an arms embargo if South Sudan throws up barriers to its deployment.
South Sudanese government soldiers executed a journalist and gang-raped women when they overran a compound used by worldwide organizations during fighting in the African nation’s capital last month, Human Rights Watch said.
“What I can say is the attackers in this incident wore uniforms and they were armed”, Trudeau told reporters, adding that it’s still unclear whether they were government- or rebel-affiliated. “They are here to help us and it is our practical responsibility and moral duty to make sure they are safe”, he said, but did not elaborate further. The tribal scars on his forehead made it obvious he was Nuer, the same as opposition leader, Machar.
Witness have accused other embassies and the U.N.’s peacekeeping force of failing to come to their aid amid the July 11 attack on the Terrain Hotel Complex. Those who took part in the horrific acts had shoulder patches with the face of a tiger – the insignia worn by the president’s personal guard, witnesses told the AP. “The U.N., the US embassy, contacting the specific battalions in the U.N., contacting specific departments”, said the woman raped by 15 men.
Haq said the United Nations findings will be fed into the work of the independent investigation whose report will be made public.
Speaking at the inauguration of the Transitional National Legislative Assembly, South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir today (15 Aug) called on legislators to work together in a spirit of tolerance and cooperation.
United Nations peacekeepers didn’t do enough to protect women from rape in surrounding areas, the statement said. Mr. Kiir’s allies have not only battled Mr. Machar’s forces in the streets, but also committed horrendous abuses during fighting, including rape and other crimes.
Advertisement
In the wake of the rampage, Human Rights Watch has called on the United Nations to investigate the factors “that are incapacitating their response to threats against civilians, limiting their operational effectiveness, and causing a crisis of faith in the mission”.
