The United Nations Mission in South Sudan has disclosed that hundreds of Civilians have been killed by rebels in the town of Bentiu in Unity State.

This new disclosure by the UN comes as 166 people were reportedly killed over the weekend in the towns of Bol Dhel and Bor.

Local reporters also say the rebels seized the oil town of Bentiu last week, operating in the town as government forces withdrew without any resistance.

The UN said in a statement that the rebels after seizing the town, started hunting down men, women and children who had sought refuge in a hospital, mosque and a church.

It added that hate speech was also broadcasted on local radio stations, saying certain groups should leave the town and urging men to rape women.

“More than 200 civilians were reportedly killed and over 400 wounded at the mosque, while some rebel commanders broadcast calls for unity, others broadcast hate messages declaring that certain ethnic groups should not stay in Bentiu and even calling on men from one community to commit vengeful sexual violence against women from another community,” The Mission said in a statement.

The Nuer community is seen as supporters of rebel leader, Riek Machar. But President Salva Kiir is a member of the country’s largest group, the Dinka and most of those killed are believed to be Dinkas.

The UN’s top humanitarian official in the country, Toby Lanzer told the BBC African Service that he was in Bentiu on Sunday and Monday and said he saw horrible things on the streets.

“It was perhaps the most shocking set of circumstances I have ever faced, I saw piles of bodies of people who had been slaughtered and they all appeared to be civilians’’, he said.

People in the town of Bentiu are said to be living in fear as dozens others continue to flee from the town. More than 1 million people are believed to have been displaced due to the conflict.

Thousands of people have been killed in South Sudan since fighting began in December between supporters of President Salva Kiir and his former deputy, Riek Machar.

Thousands of civilians have been killed in more than four-month-long conflict between the government forces of President Salva Kiir and rebels loyal to his former sacked vice President, Riek Machar.

A ceasefire was agreed between the two sides in early January in a deal mediated by regional leaders but both sides have accused each other of violating the ceasefire agreement.

Both President Kiir and Mr. Machar were part of the Sudanese Peoples’ Liberation Movement (SPLM) which fought for independence from Sudan but relation between the two worsen in less than 2 years of independence from Sudan.

Issaka Adams / NationalTurk Africa News

Writer’s Email Address: Adamsisska@googlemail.com