June 6th 2019 (Nyamilepedia) – The United Kingdom has said a genocide is ongoing in South Sudan, the world’s youngest nation.
South Sudan descended into civil war in December 2013 following flareup if violence followed by civilian massacres in the capital Juba by pro-government militiamen known as Mathiang Anyor.
The British Secretary for International Development, Priti Patel, who visited South Sudan and met President Salva Kiir last week says massacres are on going on tribal basis calling it a genocide.
“It’s tribal, it’s absolutely tribal, so on that basis it’s genocide,” she said. “Other leaders in the region cannot sit on their hands here.They themselves have to call on President Kiir to do more. If there’s a national dialogue plan, regional leaders in my view should be taking the lead on that, in terms of how they influence President Kiir but also how they support the national dialogue as well to bring peace and reconciliation to that country.”
She added that “massacres [are] taking place, people’s throats are being slit”, and urged foreign leaders to do more to force the country’s government to end the conflict in which tens of thousands of people have been killed.
Partel wondered why the African Union was created if the continental body is unable to give the continent a strength to protect its people.
“This is about international pressure,” Ms Patel said. “Where is the voice of the African Union? This is an African Union that was created to give strength to Africa. Where is that voice? Why are they not standing up for the people that are being massacred over the border who are their fellow African brothers and sisters?”
