UN Holds South Sudan Opposition Forces Responsible For Atrocities In Bentiu

Human Rights investigators from the United Nations (UN)Mission in South Sudan have confirmed that opposition forces killed hundreds of South Sudanese and foreign civilians after determining their ethnicity or nationality when they captured Bentiu last week.

Speaking to reporters in New York, UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said "the Mission strongly condemns these targeted killings. It also condemns the use of Radio Bentiu FM by some individuals associated with the opposition to broadcast hate speech."

The Mission called for these atrocities to be fully investigated and for the perpetrators and their commanders to be held accountable.

Dujarric also said that "between 15 and 17 April, the Mission extracted hundreds of civilians who were facing threats of violence in several places in Bentiu and Rubkona where they had taken refuge."

He added "over 500 civilians, including many wounded, were extracted from the Bentiu Hospital and other places, while thousands were escorted as they walked to the UNMISS base."

The Mission is currently protecting more than 12,000 civilians on its base, and some 60,000 others around the country.

UNMISS reminded the parties of their respective obligations to protect civilians and called on them to immediately stop targeting unarmed civilians and to respect the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement they signed in January.
                    


SHOTLIST

21 APRIL 2014, NEW YORK CITY / RECENT
RECENT – NEW YORK CITY

Exterior United Nations headquarters

Spokesperson for the Secretary-General Stéphane Dujarric walks up to the podium
Reporters
SOUNDBITE (English) Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General:
"The Mission strongly condemns these targeted killings. It also condemns the use of Radio Bentiu FM by some individuals associated with the opposition to broadcast hate speech."
Journalists
SOUNDBITE (English) Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General:
"Between 15 and 17 April, the Mission extracted hundreds of civilians who were facing threats of violence in several places in Bentiu and Rubkona where they had taken refuge. Over 500 civilians, including many wounded, were extracted from the Bentiu Hospital and other places, while thousands were escorted as they walked to the UNMISS base."
Presser
UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric walks away from the podium