The world body said on December 24, 2013 that the United Nations has found a mass grave with around 75 bodies in South Sudan. The discovery of the mass grave indicates a wave of ethnic killings which took place in the world’s newest country during last week.
South Sudan organized military operations in order to seize back control of the city of Bor from rebels who are loyal to the former vice president of the country. One complicating factor is that the military stated that armed elements have managed to enter a UN refugee camp in Bor, which has about 17,000 civilians.
Navi Pillay, the chief of Human Rights at UN said that the mass grave was found in Bentiu. Pillay went on to say that at least two other mass graves have reportedly been found in Juba. Ravina Shamdasani, the spokeswoman for the human rights office in Geneva said that the bodies in Bentiu reportedly belong to the ethnic Dinka, members of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army.
Michael Makuei Lueth, the government minister of information, while responding to the recovery said, “Of course Bentiu is under the control of the rebel leader Riek Machar, so we have nothing to do with that area.” Meanwhile, Ethiopia and the United States are making efforts in order to open peace talks on the ten-day-old crisis.
Photo Credits: Independent
