Feb 20, 2016(Nyamilepedia) —- On Thursday evening and until Friday morning, the Protection of Civilians sites (PoCs) sites in Malakal came under heavy attack from heavily armed Dinka militiamen backed by the government soldiers, Koat Gatkuoth, SPLMM-IO chairperson in Ethiopia explained in an email he sent to Nyamilepedia on Saturday morning.
“The office of SPLM-IO Chapter in Ethiopia learned about the ongoing slaughter of unarmed civilians of Nuer and Chollo ethnic groups who sought refuge in Protection of Cicilians (PoC) sites guarded by UNMISS protection force in Malakal,” said Koat.
More than 47,000 civilians from Nuer and Chollo seeking protection in UNMISS base in Malakal were displaced in their locations after the government soldiers stormed UNMISS shooting civilians indiscriminately.
The latest report reveals that over 95 people were wounded, most of them with gun shots, 30 feared dead, a survivor of the skirmish said the figures could be higher than what has been revealed.
“I have seen children burn alive” said a frightened eyewitness who chose to be anonymous due to fear of his personal security.
The entire camps of Nuer and Chollo were burnt to ash, properties were looted by the attackers. The civilians in the ordeal couldn’t understand as to why the Government is killing unarmed civilians, some hold the opinion that the killers could come back and finish them all as the UNMISS Protection Force failed to protect them.
“President Salva Kiir has poured enough blood but it seems he is not going to get satisfied his thirst for more blood any time soon, we are just civilians who have nothing to do with the politics of South Sudan,” anonymous eyewitness angrily stated.
The attack on civilians in PoC in South Sudan is not the first time since the current war broke out in 2013. In April 2014, armed militiamen from Dinka backed by government stormed the UNMISS in Bor, capital of Jonglie, living many dead and dozens wounded, the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon condemned the incident. It seems from the outset that what UN is capable of doing is to condemn the preventable tragic incident after it happens, not the protect lives.
The same UN condemned the Malakal incident after its refusal to protect the dying civilians in the arms government soldiers on Thursday.
The news of civilians attack in Malakal sent shockwaves not only to the members SPLM-IO in Ethiopia but to all South Sudanese communities across Ethiopia, making it more painful especially when the UN protection soldiers were watching people being randomly shot.
“We have enough evidence that the forces of GRSS disguised as Apadang Dinka youths have committed this war criminal act. It’s very unfortunate that Salva Kiir has chosen the path of war over peace even if the SPLM-IO gave up a lot of ground for the interest of peace.” Koak continued.
Peace at odds, and the implementation of the August Agreement at difficult stage. UK offered to transport the SPLM/A-IO troops to Juba. South Sudanese still in confusion on terms of the agreement especially the sticking issue of 28 states. Joined Monitoring and Evaluation Committee called for the suspension of the implementation 28 states but Kiir sticks to his guns.
“This is a tragic offense against humanity, the UN could intervene and rescue lives. But to the contrary, they were just watch them shot to death, the loss of lives added to the number we had already had over this period of two years. Kiir continues to act with impunity, he has been killing South Sudanese since 2006 to date, and the worst of all the Genocide he committed on the Nuer tribe in door to door killing and street to street execution carried out by his current army chief in Juba from 16-19 December 2013.”
This recent incident is so disturbing because it happens in the time when South Sudanese hope for peace to prevail and wish for quick return to their homes if the Transitional Government of National Unity is finally formed and implemented.
This report is compiled by Elbow Chuol, Nyamilepedia Correspondent for Ethiopia and South Sudan.
4 comments
Very Crowded and danger. Huge empty and fertile land of South Sudan. South Sudan where you settle where you want without hearing any sound from neighbours.
IO need to come out strong against what the dinka are doing to the population if the international community will be soft on this issue. IO should be about civilian protection not position. It seems they are about position, instead of fighting to protect the civilian. These dinka of demons will not be deter by talking, but by the language of force.
So sad. And the jenge always say these are UNKNOWN GUN MEN carrying out these killings. What kind of government which is unable to bring such unknown gun men to Court? Even in the Juba massacre, yet the jenge said this was carried by unknown gun men. Who are you trying to fool. Wait, you will head to the Hague without fail like Charles Tailor of Liberia. It is good that this Peace implementation will be followed by accountability of the Juba massacre plus this one of Malaka IDPs camp.
beek, how do you defend your jenge tribes’s acts of evil on innocent civilians. Just wait. The REFORMS will teach you how to behave, it is just a matter of time.
Those pictures must be removed from the site,they had been extremely vivid with bitterness in the heart. It is actually a great antipathy as well as hatred initially international community must have to intervene very seriously in investigate this volatile situation. Let’s Kiir go to ICC for this atrocities which are still exists in South Sudan.