UN: Thousands killed and abused in South Sudan

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Politically fueled ethnic violence in South Sudan since mid-December has led to the brutal killing and abuse of thousands of civilians and sparked a government campaign to vilify the United Nations and harass U.N. personnel, the U.N. peacekeeping chief said Tuesday.

Herve Ladsous told the U.N. Security Council that despite a Jan. 23 cease-fire agreement, forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and rebel soldiers loyal to dismissed former vice president Riek Machar “continue to prioritize the pursuit of military gains over talks towards a comprehensive political settlement.”