Juba/Kampala, April 12, 2017 (SSNA) — The United Kingdom has accused South Sudanese government of pursuing a “scorched-earth policy,” saying killings in South Sudan amount to genocide and called on African leaders to involve to end the carnages.
The announcement comes just two days after government troops and militias carried out targeted killings in Wau.
“There are massacres taking place, people’s throats are being slit … villages are being burnt out, there’s a scorched-earth policy,” UK’s Secretary of State for International Development, Priti Patel, was quoted by the Reuters as saying.
“It is tribal, it is absolutely tribal, so on that basis it is genocide,” she declared.
Patel, who met South Sudanese President Kiir on Tuesday, revealed that she told Kiir to stop aid blockage and accused Juba of using food as a weapon of war. She warned that “The international community will undertake consequences” if Kiir’s refuses to stop the blockage.
Patel also blasted African leaders for not doing enough to pressure Kiir’s government.
“Why are they not standing up for the people that are being massacred … who are their fellow African brothers and sisters. African heads of state … they need to do a lot more and they should not just rely on others in the international community,” she protests.
Reports of targeted killings have risen this year after South Sudanese government has been accused of pursuing ethnic killings in Equatoria region.
Britain is probably the first country to describe killings in South Sudan as genocide. The UN has previously warned of a ‘Rwanda-like genocide.’
23 Comments. Leave new
Shame to Africa stooges’ and dictators. ICC is to move on to save lives in SS.
Unfortunately ICC is not capable of supplying forces for protection of civilians. That would be up to the UN Security Council to decide and act on. The Security Council should adopt a resolution to bring the war criminals to justice and demand member states to cooperate in their apprehension. Then UN can exercise just force to bring them to justice and spare further lives from being lost. I am sorry our Japanese troops could do absolutely nothing to help you out from this horrific situation.
Thanks to Patel for speaking strong this time, but As long as UK only speaks, Kiir will not stop the killings, burning none dinka villages, rape women, displace none dinkas and loot the country and people at will. How many South Sudanese should die and how many should be displaced before words and put into action? Kiir must go now if all atrocities should stop.
;;Before words are put into action.
We were saying this several times and no body listen to us whether African leaders nor others continental leaders that government in Juba is doing genocide based on ethnicity of the local natives
It’s paining really. The so called bloodbath going on in South Sudan need both regional and international community intervention so that they rescue innocent people.. I’m also urging both warring parties to consider their people first than personal interests.
l have seen true genocide happening because people are targeted and slaughtered like animals in south Sudan and it should be the responsibilities of south Sudanese to stand up and resist such targeted killings and burning of villages and the International communities should at least sent the NATO forces like what happened in Libya.
What forced UK government to day and came out to declare the genocide in south sudan because atrocities has been carried out in wau and call it a genocide ?
Where were the UK since Dec/2013,when More than 50,000 innocence Nuer civilians were massacred in Juba in the present of international communities and no one have came out to declare it as genocide.
Does it means that British is a real enemy of Nuer tribe in south sudan because of 30 years resistance to the British colony in sudan and did not conquare the Nuerland ?
I’m not satisfy with the UK declaration of genocide in south sudan, this is a kind of jokes .
I will only believe it one day when God made his own declaration.
If the killings in South Sudan is not genocide then I do not know what it is. The definition of genocide fits the massacre of certain group of people in the country on the basis of tribe and region. Millions of citizens have been killed by government soldiers on that ground. The state has turned against its own people. The very people who brought this country into existence through a referendum. State terror is now existential in every corner of the country with the exceptlon of Jieng lands. Something must surely be done to get rid of this evil.
Well said gat wal these british don’t like us. Soon my brother we will have our time i swear to kuoth!
Naath,
The people of South Sudan should not blame international communities for being silent during 2013 war. World opinion about this war was not clear due to lack of adequate information about the cause of the war as government propaganda machine was claiming that the whole issue is a coup plot by Riek. You should as well not blame them for not talking about the slaughter because it was nuer being killed. This way you are not different from Dinka tribal goons who talk mainly about their tribe. National issues should be handles above tribal or personal interests. Mind you in that time frame Nyangbara, Zande, and Moru were slaughter by Mathiang Anyoor. Have members of these communities put blame on British silence? As South Sudanese we need no blames for peace making and building efforts by any body below the sky. We can not also demand time frames for the world community to talk or bring or work for that dear peace. We needed peace then, we need peace now, we definitely will need peace tomorrow. So let those who partner with us to bring peace work in their way while we do our way to reach that end. The dangerous thing we would like to do is to cross from position of peace building from opposition box to oppressive government box for sake of material and monetary gifts as those of Taban Gai, Ladu Gore etc have done.
African leaders can’t end the war of southsudan because president Salva. Kiir is bribing Africa leaders with blood money. the peace will take longer time to be in southsudan because president Salva is doing wrong thing in government. Federal government system is the only one thing to make southsudan good.
Genocide is an archaic. Believe it.
indeed this is senseless war i cant support it.
Salva kiir is like another curse we have got in south sudan. A full president calls for a national prayer day imagine and asks for forgiveness from south sudanese. People forgot the past and forgave him. But surprisingly, see what his government is doing.? We need Theresa May to do something.
Please what is apping in wau is really abat for internal committed
We are humanbeing why you wachting as like this Shem for you. Am a widens for what is going on. Because I came just before week ago for South Sudan prtical way town and am form wau. Hinding my selfe form covermen if they fund Me I will be dead like ather
We are few trib if you let us killed .is means not balanda or firetite well be in wau or South Sudan pleas help us form denka triba
We just want peace they are our brothers why they are killing us like enmale
Am right now seek as refuges in anther country becues of what is appening in wau I skep before week ago and right now in EG
What is UN and International Community? Their aim to end this mass killing war in South Sudan. Un always always claims of universal declaration of human right, but leave it on the paper, and only use the unfulfilled title. As to observe all world crises taking place nowadays, they mark failure to UN’s prevention to world disorders. It is similar to how league of nations failed between WWI and WWII. Please, wake up! You felt asleep. I hope the war in South Sudan becomes a chance for some outside countries just a way to run it as their business.
What is UN and International Community? When will this mass killing war in South Sudan be ended? Un always always claims of universal declaration of human right, but leave it on the paper, and only use the unfulfilled title. As to observe all world crises taking place nowadays, they mark failure to UN’s prevention to world disorders. It is similar to how league of nations failed between WWI and WWII. Please, wake up! You felt asleep. I hope the war in South Sudan becomes a chance for some outside countries just a way to run it as their business.
unfortunately such condemnation and declaration came late after years of killings and systematic massacres, but i hope that this declaration opens the eyes of the free world to act proactively and salvage this nation.
[…] that genocide, rape, and human rights abuses had been carried out against civilians by both President Kiir’s armed forces and the rebel groups, the brutality of the ongoing civil war has had longer-term impacts on the country, disrupting farming and economic […]