By Jaime Ortega.
Escalating violence in South Sudan , has already claimed hundreds of victims and threatens to turn what was supposed to be a power struggle into an intertribal conflict that could have dangerous consequences for the African country. As fighting between the army loyal flare up to President Salva Kiir, Dinka , and rebels support to former Vice President Riek Machar, accusations of ethnic cleansing begin to come to light .
Several witnesses have reported that more than 200 people from the Nuer ethnic group have been shot by security forces in the town of Juba , the capital. According to the BBC , a survivor of the massacre said the detainees were taken to a police stations located in one of the largest suburbs of Juba and for two days the soldiers fired repeatedly through the cell windows , virtually killing all who were crammed into the venue.
The UN reported yesterday the appearance of a mass grave containing 75 bodies in the State of Unity, allegedly by soldiers of People’s Liberation Army , in addition to two others found in Juba after the ethnic massacre.
The High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, urged both parties to protect civilians and warned that political and military leaders of the country will be held responsible for the crimes. ” We have documented these days extrajudicial and mass executions individuals who are considered as objectives on the basis of ethnicity , ” Pillay said in a statement.
Other reports suggest numerous shootings in several Nuer areas were carried out by members of the Dinka ethnic group , who are the majority in South Sudan . If true, the worst fears of the international community have come true, which so far tried every means that the conflict resulting in an open civil war would be avoided
To prevent the situation will again spread like wild fire, the United National Secretary General , Ban Ki -moon asked the Security Council to authorize sending another 5,500 peacekeepers, to join the 6,700 already deployed in the African territory that so far have been overtaken by the violence of the fighting and large tracts of land to cover.
Nevertheless , and at least in front of the cameras , the two leaders appear ready to begin negotiations to reach an agreement , but the agreement will not be easy . The president of South Sudan, Salva Kiir , promised before the U.S. special envoy , Donald Booth, ” to engage with Riek Machar to end the crisis without preconditions as soon as he accepts his terms [ the negotiating table ] ” .
However, Machar has already put several conditions on the table , especially the release of several of those arrested for the alleged attempted coup that occurred last week.
“My message [ to international negotiators ] was that Salva Kiir releases my comrades and these are evacuated to Addis Ababa so we can then start talking immediately, as they will be responsible for carrying out the dialogue,” Machar said in a telephone interview with Reuters .
Although there has been no official response to such demands, Kiir ‘s stance seems adamant about the release of alleged coup plotters.
In a speech to Parliament , the president acknowledged for the first time the rebels have controlled the states of Jonglei , the birthplace of the Nuer , and Unity, which concentrates the largest oil reserves in the country. However, he did not mention the possibility of releasing detainees. Kiir says , that none of the detainees ” will be tortured or ill-treated . Shall be retained and brought to justice as soon as possible.”
Meanwhile , fighting between the army and the rebels has already spread to five of the ten states. The United Nations says at least 81,000 people have fled their homes and about 45,000 have sought refuge on the basis that the peacekeepers will join Juba , Bor and Bentiu .
The main concern is the lack of food and poor hygiene that could lead to a dangerous epidemic of cholera or other infectious diseases.
All non-essential personnel , both UN and numerous humanitarian organizations working in South Sudan, have been relocated from all corners of the country to Juba so the distribution of food and medical care is presented, as one of the biggest challenges in giving coverage to the civilian population.
