UN hints of possible war crimes by South Sudan govt forces

At least 232 civilians were killed and 120 women and girls raped in attacks by South Sudan government troops and aligned forces in opposition-held villages, the U.N. human rights office said on Tuesday.

A United Nations investigation identified three commanders suspected of bearing the “greatest responsibility” in the violence in Unity State between April 16 and May 24 that may amount to war crimes, it said in a statement.

“The perpetrators …must not be allowed to get away with it,” said U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein.

“There must be consequences for the men who reportedly gang-raped a six-year-old child, who slit the throats of elderly villagers, who hanged women for resisting looting, and shot fleeing civilians in the swamps where they hid.

“Those who ordered and facilitated these horrific crimes must be brought to account.

“The government of South Sudan and the international community have the obligation to ensure justice,” he stressed.