A South Sudan opposition lawmaker on Sunday accused President Salva Kiir’s government of preparing a genocide against the Nuer people.
Reath Muoch Tang, a senior figure in Vice President Riek Machar’s party, denounced the labeling of Nuer homelands as “hostile” territories.
He warned that this classification, targeting nine out of sixteen Nuer-majority counties, was a “deliberate and calculated” move towards ethnic cleansing.
Tang described the government’s action as “reckless and malicious,” accusing it of laying the groundwork for mass violence against civilians.
Tensions have soared following the arrest of Machar in March and months of clashes that threaten to plunge South Sudan back into civil war.
Nasir County, a key battleground, was among those deemed hostile, sparking outrage from Machar’s camp and fears of wider bloodshed.
Oyet Nathaniel Pierino, acting party chairman, cited a 2014 African Union report documenting previous atrocities committed against Nuer men.
He condemned the “perpetuation of State Policy” involving ethnic profiling, promising to pursue charges of genocide at the International Criminal Court.
Recent violence in Nasir saw around 6,000 White Army fighters storm a military camp, leaving a top general and hundreds of soldiers dead.
The government, backed by Ugandan forces, claims to have regained control of Nasir and Ulang amid escalating hostilities.
The United Nations reports at least 200 deaths and the displacement of 125,000 civilians since March, worsening South Sudan’s humanitarian crisis.
The fragile 2018 peace deal between Kiir and Machar now hangs by a thread as ethnic tensions deepen and violence spreads.
