South Sudanese Military Massively Abused Civilians During Anti-Rebel Operations - Watchdog

South Sudanese forces committed numerous acts of abuse against civilians during their anti-rebel raids in the country's southern state of Yei River between December 2018 and March 2019, a prominent human rights watchdog reported on Tuesday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 04th June, 2019) South Sudanese forces committed numerous acts of abuse against civilians during their anti-rebel raids in the country's southern state of Yei River between December 2018 and March 2019, a prominent human rights watchdog reported on Tuesday, citing witness accounts and calling on the government to admit the injustice and ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid to everyone affected.

The government forces launched their operation in the area in December after their positions were attacked by rebels. Human Rights Watch (HRW) reported, however, citing witnesses, that the insurgents had already withdrawn from the area before the soldiers came or purposefully retreated. Civilians, in turn, were forced to flee from their homes, which were burned and looted by the military.

"Civilians are being targeted, killed, and raped, as government operations try to root out rebels in Yei River state. All parties need to put a stop to the crimes against civilians and ensure accountability, while the government should help people regain their homes and livelihoods," HRW Associate Africa director Jehanne Henry said, as quoted by the watchdog's official website.

At the same time, the rights group stressed that the government forces were not the only ones abusing local residents. The rebels were also responsible for attacks against civilians and hampering humanitarian efforts, the watchdog found.

"Both SPLM/A-IO [Sudan People's Liberation Movement-in-Opposition, SPLM-IO] and NAS [National Salvation Front] have been implicated in serious abuses against civilians - including abducting and detaining aid workers, killing and detaining civilians, and attacking aid and civilian vehicles on main roads," HRW reported.

According to the watchdog, the local authorities refused to acknowledge the mass displacement of local residents caused by the anti-rebel operations and scope of the violence committed by government soldiers.

"While the situation now in Yei may be calm, abuses against civilians have not been addressed. Authorities should acknowledge the scope of the abuses inflicted on civilians, enable justice for victims, and prioritize getting aid to those in need," Henry said.

The civil war erupted in South Sudan in 2013, just two years after the country gained independence from Sudan. It all started when South Sudanese President Salva Kiir accused former Vice-President Riek Machar and several others of planning a coup, which led to an armed confrontation between the SPLM-IO, led by Machar, the government and other rebel groups.

Several peace deals were reached throughout the conflict but none of them helped put an end to the hostilities, as NAS, formed in 2017, continues to fight the government forces, mostly in the Yei River state.