Since February, at least 75 civilians have been murdered in clashes between the South Sudanese army and fighters supporting President Salva Kiir’s challenger, the UN human rights head said on Friday.
According to United Nations Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk, hundreds of people have been displaced and dozens more have been injured in the newest state in the world.
After separating from Sudan in 2011, South Sudan was engulfed in a civil war from 2013 to 2018, which claimed almost 400,000 lives and displaced four million more.
A tenuous peace has been maintained thanks to a power-sharing arrangement between the warring parties in 2018.
However, for a number of months, followers of Vice President Riek Machar, who was jailed in March, have been pitted against President Kiir’s faction in deadly confrontations.
According to a statement from Turk, the conflict between Machar’s SPLA-IO, Kiir’s SSPDF, and their respective militias has resulted in “at least 75 civilians killed and 78 others injured, and displaced thousands from their homes.”
The South Sudanese army has reportedly launched “indiscriminate aerial bombardments, river, and ground offensives” on SPLA-IO positions in Jonglei State and the Upper Nile regions, according to the statement.
A medical center run by the medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) is among the sites that have been affected.
On Wednesday, the SPLA-IO and allied armed groups launched a counter-offensive to recapture areas it had lost in Fangak county in Jonglei State, causing more civilians to flee their homes.
According to a UN estimate in mid-April, around 125,000 people have been displaced since the escalation of tensions.
Turk said dozens of opposition politicians linked to the SPLM-IO had been arrested, including Machar, ministers, MPs, and army officers, as had civilians.
He expressed concern over arbitrary detentions and a rise in hate speech since February.
“All parties must urgently pull back from the brink,” Turk said. “I urge all parties to uphold the 2018 peace agreement.”
The escalation of violence risks further worsening the already terrible humanitarian situation and widespread violations of human rights, he said.
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