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WORLD NEWS Thursday 7 June 2018

South Sudan's latest civil war atrocities kept out of sight

By SAM MEDNICK following December's
KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — cease-fire agreement.
The accounts are horrific. And in the nearby town
A young girl strangled and of Morobo, a woman was
gang-raped. Children raped and beaten so badly
burned alive as government that she lost sight in one
soldiers blocked the door of eye. A disabled woman,
their hut and set it aflame. unable to flee the fighting,
These are some of the was thrown into a burning
atrocities revealed in house by government
14 reports, seen by The soldiers, the report said.
Associated Press, that have The group that compiled
not yet been released by the reports, the Ceasefire
the independent body and Transitional Security
charged with monitoring a Arrangements Monitoring
failed cease-fire imposed in Mechanism, told the AP its
December in South Sudan, mandate doesn't require it
where civil war is now well to publish reports and that
into its fifth year. releasing them had been
The reports should have In this Tuesday, May 30, 2017 file photo, South Sudanese soldiers accused of a horrific attack on the task of its parent body,
been released last month foreign aid workers including rape, torture, killing and looting on the Terrain hotel compound. the Joint Monitoring and
at a meeting led by the Associated Press Evaluation Commission.q
Joint Monitoring and
Evaluation Commission but the United Nations, Britain
South Sudan's government and elsewhere, none have
did not attend, preventing released them publicly or
the accounts of abuses made public the reports of
from being made public abuses.
because there was not a South Sudan's government
quorum. didn't respond to multiple
"The reports contain requests for comment on
evidence that soldiers why it didn't attend last
continue to kill, rape and month's meeting.
destroy property. The The unpublished reports
decision to keep these describe violations by
ongoing atrocity crimes both government and
secret sends the wrong opposition forces but most
message," Jehanne Henry, of the accounts blame
senior Africa researcher government troops for
for Human Rights Watch, instigating attacks and
told the AP. Only five such deliberately targeting
reports have been released civilians.
this year. During an attack in February
The African Union and on a school in the town of
the East African regional Modit, children fled into a
bloc that mediates South hut to hide. Government
Sudan's peace talks should soldiers blocked the door
take action, said Edmund and set it on fire, burning
Yakani, executive director the children to death, said
for the local advocacy one report.
group Community A young girl fetching
Empowerment for Progress water from a river in the
Organization. town of Yei was strangled
"Silence on the violations before she and her
only encourages further mother were gang-raped
violations," he said. by government soldiers,
While people attending the another report said. More
meeting said copies of the than 30 cases of sexual
reports on atrocities were assault were recorded
distributed to diplomats in Yei and surrounding
from the United States, areas in the three months