A new UN Human Rights report released today provides evidence that opposition forces murdered or raped dozens of civilians during an attack on Bentiu, Unity State on 29 October 2014.

The report, available for download in full below, details the murders of 11 civilians killed in two incidents.

In one incident, opposition forces shot and killed two women and a baby. In another, soldiers abducted fourteen males from Bentiu's Catholic church, tied them together, and placed them on a forced march. Soon after, they executed a boy under 18 years of age. After consulting with a local SPLA-In Opposition official, the soldiers opened fire on the group, killing seven others.

The UN report alleges that at least twenty women were sexually assaulted by SPLA-IO soldiers including under threat of death. Some women were raped in the bush, others were beaten and made to carry wounded soldiers. Another group of women was placed on a three-day, two-night forced march during which they were repeatedly raped each night. Other women were stripped naked and humiliated for allegedly having links with government forces.

The report is based on dozens of interviews with victims, survivors, witnesses, and alleged perpetrators. The report clarifies that the victims and alleged perpetrators were mainly of Nuer ethnicity, though witnesses said opposition forces labeled anyone perceived as allied with the government as "Dinka."

The UN Human Rights team said that SPLA-IO commanders in the area denied the allegations of human rights abuses, claiming that any civilians who died were killed accidentally in crossfire.

The report concludes that SPLA-IO forces likely "committed gross human rights abuses and serious violations of international humanitarian law which may amount to war crimes, including the killing of persons who were taking no active part in the hostilities, summary executions, intentionally directing attacks against civilians, and conflict-related sexual violence."