The United Nations says that sexual violence, attacks against civilians, displacement, burning of villages and restriction of aid are happening in South Sudan.

The UN Commissioner for Human Rights Yasmin Sooka said at a press conference in Juba on Friday that the scale of the abuse and neglect in South Sudan is mind boggling.

“To be very frank, it’s no longer just confined to one or other parts of South Sudan; this is really happening all across South Sudan,” she said.

Yasmin, who visited Wau town, said: “The people we met with described how they were forced out of their homes and how their villages were burned. Wau is an interesting place. Because you actually see some of the most beautiful homes there, brick homes, when you look at them properly, and in detail. We were taken on a drive of the area, you see the roofs have come off and everything being burnt.”

The UN commission said it listened to stories from those who described the attacks that came and which displaced them in Wau. “The overwhelming story that we encountered included not just attacks against civilians, but the looting, the rape and sexual violence, as well as the burning of villages, cattle raids, the abduction of women and children, the lack of access to food and education,” Yasmin said.

“The humanitarian workers we spoke to complained about continuously having their access to remote areas being blocked by the SPLA. So, you can get permission from the top, but when you’re on the road, you’re actually stopped by a checkpoint,” she said.

The UN expert pointed out that many of the survivors talked about the absence of the rule of law in many parts of South Sudan and the blatant disregard for justice.

The Commission is an independent body mandated by the UN Human Rights Council to determine and report the facts and circumstances of, collect and preserve evidence of, and clarify responsibility for alleged gross violations and abuses of human rights and related crimes, including sexual and gender-based violence and ethnic violence, with a view to ending impunity and providing accountability.