NAIROBI, KENYA, 21 March ] — The United Peoples Alliance (UPA) has accused the South Sudanese government of using cluster bombs and chemical weapons in Upper Nile State, targeting areas including Nasir, Longechuk, Ulang, and Akobo County in Jonglei State. In a statement obtained by ThejubaMirror, UPA Spokesperson Lual Dau called on the international community and regional leaders to condemn and hold the government accountable for what the group described as war crimes and potential crimes against humanity.
“This unjustified act must be investigated,” Dau said. “The government in Juba has betrayed its citizens by inviting foreign forces to kill them, making all South Sudanese, regardless of ethnicity, vulnerable to genocide.”
UPA alleged that tribalist leaders in the South Sudanese government are using divisive rhetoric to sow ethnic and regional conflict. According to the statement, hate speech and the use of foreign forces have led to rapid disintegration of national unity, with chemical weapons reportedly destroying entire villages, including women, children, and the elderly.
“The cowardly use of chemical weapons is accelerating the country’s descent into ethnic war,” Dau added.
The UPA warned that without accountability and international condemnation, such acts of violence and crimes against humanity would continue. The group also urged opposition movements, political actors, and civil society groups in and outside South Sudan to denounce the government’s actions, protest the deployment of foreign troops, and document the ongoing crisis.
Additionally, UPA reiterated its call for the immediate release of all members of the SPLM/A-IO detained under the National Security Act, emphasizing the importance of solidarity with the South Sudanese people during what it described as a critical moment for the nation.
The UPA thanked media outlets for documenting and reporting on the situation, calling their efforts crucial in informing the world about the escalating crisis.
