UN Report Unveils Massive Human Rights Violations In Jonglei

This article was last updated on May 25, 2022

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The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has released a report on findings of its investigation into the inter-communal violence in the state that occurred between December last year and February this year.

The 45-page report titled: “Incidents of Inter-communal Violence in Jonglei State, documents crimes and human rights violations that took place during the attacks and numerous recommendations to avert future major outbreaks of violence.

It indicated numerous human rights abuses during the violence including killings, abduction of children and women, displacement and burning of houses.

“To end the cycle of violence in Jonglei for good, we need to understand what happened and make sure that the perpetrators are held accountable. This needs to be part of a comprehensive peace process in the state”, said Head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) Hilde Johnson.

 “We sincerely believe this report will make a positive contribution towards reconciliation among the communities in Jonglei”.

The report recorded 612 fatalities in the course of the attacks on Murle settlements and 276 deaths resulting from the attacks on the Lou Nuer and Dinka communities between 23 December 2011 and 4 February 2012.

As a matter of urgency, the report recommends the activation of the government’s Investigation Committee into the Jonglei State crisis.

It also calls for the prosecution of all those responsible for the violence.

In her remarks on the report, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said that: “It is vital that the facts are known and that the perpetrators and instigators on all sides are held to account”.

“Every effort must be made to implement the report’s recommendations as they could make a very important contribution to improving respect for human rights and breaking the cycle of violence in Jonglei”, she added.

The report partly blamed the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) for the magnitude of the incidences, saying the delays in the SPLA deployments despite early warning by UNMISS, prevented adequate protection of civilians.