38 civilians killed in southern Sudan
The United Nations refugee agency today said it had received reports of at least 38 civilians killed in attacks in southern Sudan.
Ron Redmond, spokesman for UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres, said the attacks had caused the agency to suspend its operation helping Sudanese refugees return from Uganda, in place since last year’s peace deal ended two decades of civil war in the South.
Redmond said the reports indicated “unknown gunmen killed at least 38 civilians in a string of attacks in southern Sudan".
The refugee body will monitor the situation closely before resuming the repatriation convoys that already have helped 14,000 south Sudanese return from neighbouring countries, he told reporters.
There are still some 350,000 south Sudanese in camps in Uganda and other bordering African nations. UNHCR has said another 100,000 refugees have returned to south Sudan without its assistance.
