April 17, 2014(Nyamilepedia) — A big number of unarmed internally displaced persons (IPDs), under UNMISS protection was killed this morning by a heavily armed local youth. The camp, which is predominantly occupied by the Nuer Ethnic group, came under heavy attack in the early morning around 9am.
The heavily armed youth broke into the camp, shooting indiscriminately at the unarmed Nuer civilians, killing a big number and displacing others.
Report from the Upper Niled Time indicates that more than 130 IDPs, of Nuer origin, are confirmed dead. The source blames the government troops for the attack.
The government of South Sudan has been accused of harassing the aid workers and killing of over 17,613 Nuer across the country. Many innocent Nuer men and women were the first target of a presidential led massacre in the capital, Juba.
The president has acknowledged recruiting over 15,000 tribal militia, from his own home town, shortly before the conflict broke out. The militias, recruited into the presidential guards, under a new banner, “Dotkubeny” are blamed for the killing of Nuer ethnic group in the city. However, recruitment intensified, on both sides, as the national army defects to Machar’s faction.
The government works closely with the youth, who organizes demonstrations against UNMISS and other bodies in the country. The SPLA soldiers killed nearly 10 protestors in Wau in 2012.
Report from Sudantribune indicates that 30 people have been killed while many other unarmed Nuer civilians are being shot at as they escaped the camp.
Some have headed into the forest, while others have tried to seek help from the nearby UNMISS camps, populated mostly by the Dinka ethnic group and other minorities tribes.
The UNMISS camp that came under attack accommodated more than 5,000 persons, mostly women and children.
It is not yet clear what prompted the attack, but it is believes that the rebels have attacked Gadiang, the main government headquarters near Bor.
Rebels captured the neighboring counties of Padiet and Poktap last month but Machar has recently threatened to shut down the oil fields or even advance to Juba, should the peace talk fails.
Other reports blame the attack on the IDPs celebration of anti-government’s victory in the oil rich Unity state. The recapture of Bentiu, the capital of Unity state has been widely celebrated, some at the main capital, Juba.
The last two days have been marked by heavy fighting in Renk near Paloch, the main oil fields in Upper Nile state. Other clashes have been reported in Torit, Eastern Equatoria region, led by a break away faction.
With less than 30% of the army still loyal to the government, the Juba would depend on the armed youth to enforce its operations. The Ugandan army, which recaptured Bor and helped in recapturing Bentiu and Malakal has distanced itself from engaging the rebels.
The first confrontation between the UN peacekeepers and the armed soldiers at the UNMISS camp was pioneered by the minister of information and broadcasting, Mr. Minister Makuei Lueth, a lawyer by profession, who threatens the UN peacekeepers to enter with his heavily armed SPLA. Makuei was denied accessed but continued to demand an apology from the UN.
Makuei, an MP from Bor has told the Al Jazeera journalist that there are rebels with guns in the UNMISS camps.
In Juba, IDPs in UNMISS camps have witnessed minor assaults from the government polices, including killings and towing of their vehicles outside the UNMISS camp. 4 IDPs were shot within the UNMISS camp in the first week of March at a close range when the second heavy fighting broke out among the presidential guards at Giyada headquarters. The IDPs claimed that a government soldier mounted an artillery at the roof of a nearby building and directly fired into the camp, killing 4 and wounded scores; a report that the government denies.
According to James Gatdet Dak, Dr. Riek Machar’s spokesperson, many survivors have confirmed the killing of many IDPs.
“Many survivors I spoke to confirmed to me that many people were killed and the base was deserted. Some of the survivors had to run to the bushes, while others made it to the other official camps of the Korean [peacekeeping] contingents,” he said.
A victim from the UNMISS camp, reached by the Upper Nile time, has described his experience as horrible.
“I think the SPLA forces killed us out of frustration. They hear that the white army from Lou area are coming to attack them and because they will not resist them they resort to killing us. My mother is killed and my wife too and my son. I don’t know why they do this to me because I don’t have a gun. They don’t have to kill me shamefully like this. I’m not a member of the white army or the rebels. I’m just here living under UN as somebody who don’t want to fight anybody”, Chuol tearfully said.
