Politics
A report by U.N. sanctions monitors accused South Sudan’s top military leaders of ordering large-scale attacks on the supporters of former rebel leader Riek Machar in the capital, Juba, in July. The violence that raged in the city for several days killed at least 300 people, forcing Machar to flee the country. The panel also accused armed government actors of imposing “debilitating movement restrictions” on U.N. peacekeepers.
The U.N. monitors said that South Sudan’s government has derailed the country’s economy by buying weapons instead of funding social services, reports Al Jazeera. The revelations about continuing influx of weapons will strengthen calls for an arms embargo on South Sudan, something that has earlier been proposed by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
The attacks between July 8 to 11, were “well-coordinated” by about 80 to 100 soldiers, who beat and abused, raped and gang-raped at least five international aid workers in addition to executing an employee of an N.G.O., writes Daily Maverick.
The report quotes some of the South Sudanese officials, who said that only President Salva Kiir and army chief of staff Paul Malong had the authority to order the use of attack helicopters in the fighting.
