Tens of thousands of civilians in South Sudan’s Upper Nile region were forcibly displaced in January to May 2017, as government forces burnt, shelled and looted their homes. Aided by Dinka militias, government forces undertook a ground offensive in the Upper Nile region in early/mid 2017, retaking territory that had been under the control of armed opposition forces. They attacked numerous towns and villages on the west bank of the White Nile, an area belonging to the traditional kingdom of the Shilluk ethnic minority. In addition to massive forced displacement, government forces and allied militia were responsible for deliberate killings, indiscriminate attacks, and systematic looting.
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