The UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) [official website] on Thursday strongly condemned [press release] the violence that took place Wednesday night between Shilluk and Dinka [African Press report] youths at one of its Protection of Civilians sites in South Sudan [JURIST archive]. Due to the civil war in the country, 198,440 Sudanese people reside at various UN protection sites, and more than 47,000 displaced persons reside at the Malakal protection site where the violent interaction, which resulted in multiple injuries and at least five casualties, took place. UNMISS called on the government and the citizens to end the violence and further warned that such attacks are not only prohibited, but may also meet the qualifications of war crimes.

The human rights situation throughout Sudan has drawn global condemnation of Sudan’s political leaders. Earlier this month the UN Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in the Sudan, called for an end [press release] to conflict in Darfur between the Sudanese government and the Sudan Liberation Army/Abdul Wahid, which may have led to human rights abuses and violations [JURIST report] of international law. The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights [official website] reported in January that “shocking crimes” have been committed [JURIST report] in the war-torn South Sudan.