Amnesty Says UN Peacekeepers and South Sudan Authorities Failed to Prevent Attack

Amnesty International says United Nations peacekeepers and South Sudanese authorities failed to act on warnings before an attack killed more than 200 people in Abiemnom in March. The rights group said UNMISS knew an attack was likely but did not reinforce its roughly three dozen peacekeepers there until afterward. Amnesty said 1,000 to 1,500 armed men from neighbouring Mayom County carried out the March 1 attack, shooting residents, burning homes and looting part of a hospital. Authorities put the death toll at <b>at least 213</b>, including 130 town residents, 76 security personnel and seven foreign nationals. Amnesty regional director Tigere Chagutah said both the government and UNMISS had enough information and time to take stronger preventive action.