UN agencies condemn attacks on civilians, aid workers in South Sudan

JUBA, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations agencies on Wednesday condemned the killing of 45 civilians including six people working with two NGOs in South Sudan's northeastern Jonglei State by tribal militia group.

The UN Mission in South Sudan and the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in separate statements described the killings of the civilians from the Dinka tribe by raiders from the rival Murle tribe as horrific.

"I utterly condemn these killings and the abduction of some 60 women and children which accompanied these attacks," said David Shearer, head of UNMISS who also urged both sides to restrain from further attacks.

"The perpetrators of this violence have undermined the ongoing peace and reconciliation efforts that the UN Mission in South Sudan, UNMISS, has supported in Jonglei," Shearer added.

The latest attack on the villages of Duk Panyang and Duk Payuel on Monday, came after the two rival pastoral communities signed a peace agreement in May brokered by the First Vice President Taban Deng Gai and UNMISS to end conflict that tend to include child abduction and cattle raids on each other.

"I urge the leaders of both communities to reign in the youth, show restraint and to put an end to the cycle of revenge killings. It is crucial that the national and local authorities support the community leaders and work to bring the perpetrators of all attacks to account," Shearer added.

During the attack, houses were burnt, and civilian properties looted and destroyed. A health facility managed by an NGO was also looted and vandalized.

There are reports of civilians displaced to the neighboring villages due to the inter-communal fighting, and some children were allegedly abducted by the attackers.

Alain Noudehou, UN's Humanitarian Coordinator for South Sudan, said it's outrageous that civilians and humanitarians providing assistance continue to be targeted.

"I call on all armed elements to respect civilians and aid workers, wherever they are in the country," he said in a statement issued in Juba.

Noudehou said the staff killed included health workers and a driver who was delivering material for the hospital. The three critically injured staff members have been evacuated to Juba for further treatment.

"At a time when humanitarian needs have reached unprecedented levels, it is unacceptable that those who are trying to help are being attacked and killed," Noudehou said.

"For us to continue to provide life-saving relief to the civilians' suffering, the safety and security of aid workers must be respected, perpetrators must be held to account and senseless cycles of violence must stop," he added.

The UN relief official said the latest attack brings the number of aid workers killed in South Sudan to 92 since the beginning of the December 2013 crisis, including at least 25 killed in 2017.

South Sudan descended into violence in December 2013 after political dispute between President Salva Kiir and his former deputy turned rebel chief Riek Machar led to split within the SPLA, leaving soldiers to fight alongside ethnic lines.

The 2015 peace agreement to end the conflict was weakened after the outbreak of renewed fighting in July 2016 caused the SPLA-in opposition rebel leader Machar to flee the capital. Enditem