De-inventing South Sudan

More than a decade after independence, South Sudan is on the brink of disintegration. Millions of civilians have been displaced by war, the threat of famine looms over the population, and political elites, through their proxy militias, continue to carry out appalling atrocities against civilians manifested in a cycle of inter-communal violence. Amnesty International documented potential war crimes committed in the recent violence around Tambura County in Western Equatoria. The violence involved Azande and Balanda communities, who were aligned with fighters linked to the government’s South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army-In Opposition (SPLA-IO). Deprose Muchena, Amnesty’s Director for East and Southern Africa, described the violence as “[a] trail of death, destruction and division ensued after politicians whipped up ethnic hatred and mobilized youth to fight. The testimonies we have gathered speak to unimaginable violence, including civilians killed as they fled and bodies set on fire and mutilated.” The 2022 Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan found that key members of SPLM-IG were involved in planning and backing violence providing support to General Nando and local authorities in Tambura. It is believed that the Paramount Chief and County Commissioner of the area mobilized Azande youth militias, who attacked civilians. Additionally, leaders and members of SPLM/A-IO and Balanda-affiliated youth militias were implicated in human rights violations and abuses.