S. Sudan accused of war atrocities

JUBA, South Sudan — Amnesty International accused South Sudanese government forces of deliberately killing civilians, raping women and girls and looting property during attacks on the capital, Juba, in July.

“These attacks by government forces are further proof of the urgent need to impose an arms embargo on South Sudan, with the aim of stopping the flow of weapons, and establish an effective mechanism to monitor compliance,” Joanne Mariner, Amnesty International’s senior crisis response adviser, said in a statement posted on the organization’s website Monday. “States should not be profiting off weapons that are being used to kill civilians.”

A civil war that began in South Sudan in December 2013 has left tens of thousands of people dead, with a peace agreement that saw rebel chief Riek Machar join a transitional government thrown into turmoil in July, when renewed violence forced him from the capital. The release of Amnesty International’s report on the attacks comes as an African Union Peace and Security Council field mission prepares to visit the country this weekend.