More than 9,100 refugees found guilty of violence against South Sudanese activists after continued action in London

More than 9,100 people have fled South Sudan because of the recent escalation of violence, according to the UN. In the Fashoda district of Upper Nile state, people have been killed and injured, women and children kidnapped, and property and livestock destroyed since mid-November, according to a statement from the UN Emergency Relief Agency for Sudan on Wednesday. There are also cases of sexual assault.

Some of the refugees are on their way to Sudan, others are hiding in swamps. The message contained no further information about the number of victims. There was heavy fighting between different ethnic groups in the northeast of the country last weekend. The UN mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) confirmed on Tuesday that there were deaths. The situation in the area remains “tense and unpredictable,” the UN mission warned. The true extent of the fighting in the hard-to-reach areas of the crisis state initially remained unclear and could not be independently verified.

South Sudanese President Salva Kiir Mayardit caused confusion on Wednesday with a statement in Juba. He talked about ‘brothers’ fighting and he couldn’t stop them. His office later clarified that Kiir was committed to ending the violence and wanted to send soldiers to the affected area.

South Sudan, which has been independent since 2011, has been led for more than two years by a fragile transitional government led by President Kiir and former rebel leader Riek Machar. In 2013, civil war erupted in the oil-rich and conflict-ravaged country, killing thousands and displacing millions. Despite a peace agreement of five years ago, various armed groups continue to fight for more influence. (sda/dpa)