South Sudan Massacre: Amnesty Accuses UN Peacekeepers, Authorities Of Ignoring Attack Warnings

A new Amnesty International report has accused South Sudanese authorities and UN peacekeepers of failing to respond to warnings before armed attackers stormed a village and killed more than 200 people earlier this year.

In its report released on Thursday, Amnesty said the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) had received information indicating that an attack was likely. However, the mission did not send additional peacekeepers to strengthen its presence of around 36 personnel in Abiemnom until the assault had taken place.

The attack took place on March 1 in Abiemnom, a remote area close to the Sudanese border. According to Amnesty International, between 1,000 and 1,500 armed men from neighbouring Mayom County entered the village, opened fire on residents, set homes ablaze and looted part of a hospital.

The assault killed more than 200 people, according to figures released by South Sudanese authorities. The dead included 130 residents, 76 security personnel and seven foreign nationals.

The findings have raised questions about the response of both the UN mission and South Sudanese authorities, particularly as the country prepares for elections next month amid concerns that the vote could threaten an already fragile peace.

“Both the government and UNMISS had sufficient information and time to take more effective preventive action. Their failure to take stronger action cost lives,” said Tigere Chagutah, Amnesty’s director for East and Southern Africa, according to Al Jazeera.

UNMISS spokesperson Priyanka Chowdhury said the mission had set up a protected site ahead of the assault and provided shelter and medical assistance to around 2,500 people who sought refuge there. She said budget cuts had limited its resources, forcing it to prioritise the safety of civilians who had taken shelter inside its base.

Elections Ahead

South Sudan is scheduled to hold elections on December 22, with concerns growing over the country's fragile political situation. On Tuesday, African Union envoy Jakaya Kikwete called on the UN Security Council to help ensure that the vote takes place peacefully.

Murithi Mutiga of the International Crisis Group cautioned that holding elections in haste could deliver “a final blow” to the 2018 peace agreement, which brought an end to five years of devastating civil war.

Meanwhile, Amnesty International said South Sudanese authorities had not replied to two letters seeking information and their response to the report's initial findings.

The rights group has urged an independent probe into the killings, along with a separate assessment of how UN peacekeepers handled the warnings and responded to the attack.