South Sudan denies killing, maiming children during conflict

JUBA, Oct. 17 (Xinhua) -- The South Sudan government on Wednesday denied that its army killed and maimed children as alleged in a United Nations report that accuses the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) and rebel groups of violations.

Information minister Michael Makuei Lueth said the figures on the atrocities committed on children mentioned in the latest report by Virginia Gamba, special representative of the UN secretary-general for children and armed conflict before the UN Security Council (UNSC), are concocted and not substantiated.

"If they can give us a copy of the (individual) names then we can act," said Makuei in Juba. "These are reports that are written by people who have decided to take advantage of the plight of the people of South Sudan."

The UN report, released on Monday, said over 9,200 children were victims of grave violations between October 2014 and June 2018.

"Grave violations against children were often interconnected: abduction took place for the purpose of recruitment; boys and girls recruited were killed or maimed or sexually abused," said Gamba.

The report said children were also used to commit atrocities against civilians and other children, thus perpetuating the cycle of violence.

It also noted that over 5,700 children were verified as having been recruited and used and nearly 2,000 were abducted and more than 980 children were killed or maimed, both by government forces and armed groups.

It said that sexual violence, including against children, was used as a tactic of war and as a form of collective punishment.

More than 650 children were verified as being sexually abused during the reporting period, with 75 percent of the cases involving gruesome gang rapes, the report said, noting the actual numbers were likely higher due to under-reporting in fear of stigmatization.

"If they are genuine they should have sent it to us first before tabling it in the UN Security Council," Makuei said. "Unfortunately, these are reports written in secrecy. They are confidential and these are people paid to write such reports."

South Sudan descended into civil war in late 2013. The UN estimates that about 4 million South Sudanese have been displaced internally and externally.