South Sudan: UN Claims 'Ethnic Killings'

The United Nations Mission in South Sudan is condemning what it terms "the targeted killings of civilians based on their ethnic origins and nationality" in a town in Unity state.

The United Nations said on Monday (21.04.2014) that rebel gunmen killed "hundreds" of civilians when they retook the oil town of Bentiu last week. "More than 200 civilians were reportedly killed and over 400 wounded at the mosque," the UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) said in a statement.

Radio broadcasts had urged fighters to massacre a rival tribe sheltering at a church, mosque and a hospital.

Earlier the UN said it had reports of "targeted killings based on ethnicity" with several dozen corpses rotting in the streets.

Bentiu, capital of Unity state, was recaptured by rebels loyal to sacked vice president Riek Marchar on Tuesday (15.04.2014)

Army unable to contact troops

South Sudan's army said on Saturday (19.04.2014) they had "lost communication" with commanders battling rebels in Unity state.

The army's headquarters in the South Sudanese capital Juba said they have not been able to get through to troops fighting on the ground since Thursday.

James Gadet Dak, a spokesman for Machar, said the rebels were aiming to starve the government of funds for its war chest by seizing oil fields and towns with oil installations.

Over a million people have fled their home since the start of the fighting in mid-December

Meanwhile South Sudan army spokesman Malaak Ayuen said the situation was "all calm" in the flashpoint town of Bor, capital of Jonglei state, where gunmen stormed a UN peacekeeping base killing at least 48 people, including women and children, who were sheltering there.

The UN Security Council called the attack on the camp "an outrage" that may "constitute a war crime."

The top UN official in the war-torn nation, Toby Lanzer, praised peacekeepers for preventing what could have been a massacre of up to 5,000 people and vowed the world body would use "lethal force" again to keep civilians under their protection from harm.