Ban strongly condemns latest deadly attack in southern Sudan

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has strongly condemned the weekend attack in southern Sudan in which more than 100 people were reportedly killed, the latest in a string of ethnically-based incidents in the region.

Around 2,000 homes were also burned when gunmen attacked the village of Duk Padiet in Jonglei state on the morning of 20 September.

“The Secretary-General urges the Government of Southern Sudan to further strengthen their efforts to identify and bring to justice the perpetrators of these crimes,” Mr. Ban’s spokesperson said in a statement issued last night.

“In the meantime, the Secretary-General commends the efforts of the Government to restore order, deter retaliatory attacks, and to pursue dialogue and reconciliation among all concerned parties,” the statement added.

The UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) is working to determine the full extent of the attack.

There has been a rise in attacks across the region since the start of this year. Just last month tribal militiamen attacked residents of the village of Wernyol, killing numerous civilians.