South Sudan: 500 people buried in South Sudan town

Source: UN Radio

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The mass burial of 500 people who were killed in fighting in a town in South Sudan is getting underway.

The authorities in Bor, the capital of Jonglei state, say the victims, mainly women, children and the elderly, were killed by rebels.

Bor is one of the towns worst hit by recent fighting between the government and forces loyal to the former South Sudanese Vice-President.

Gabriel Deng Ajak is from the State Relief and Rehabilitation Commission, which is carrying out the burials.

"We are trying to clean the town, basically looking at burying the dead who were killed by the rebels. So we are arranging for a burial and then we do the general town cleaning. And from there we urge the civil population to return to their houses and resume their normal activities"

On a recent visit, the UN Assistant Secretary General for Human Rights, Ivan Simonovic, described Bor as a 'ghost town'.

The United Nations says that nationwide, close to 800,000 people have fled the ongoing conflict.

Daniel Dickinson, United Nations