The UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan says rebels have killed hundreds of civilians, hunting down men, women and children as they took refuge in a hospital, mosque and church in the oil hub, Bentiu.<br /><br />Speaking to reporters in New York, UN Spokesman Stéphane <br />Dujarric said: “The Mission strongly condemns these targeted killings. <br />It also condemns the use of Radio Bentiu FM by some individuals <br />associated with the opposition to broadcast hate speech.<br /><br />“Between April 15-17, the Mission extracted hundreds of civilians who were facing threats of violence in several places in Bentiu and Rubkona where they had taken refuge.”<br /><br />Rebels loyal to former Vice President Riek Machar took control of the oil hub last week but deny the massacre.<br /><br />Thousands of people have been killed and over a million displaced since fighting erupted in Africa’s newest state last December, triggered by a power struggle between Machar and the president who sacked him, Salva Kiir.<br /><br />The fighting has exacerbated ethnic tensions between Kiir’s Dinka people and Machar’s Nuer.<br /><br />In January, the warring parties agreed to a cessation of hostilities but fighting has continued in parts of South Sudan, which seceded from Sudan in 2011 under an agreement to end decades of war.
