The US government says there is clear evidence that the two warring parties in South Sudan have committed crimes against humanity during this ongoing conflict.

Amb Stephen Rapp, from the Office of Global Criminal Justice, told the media at Juba International Airport that the warring parties have committed what he calls “terrible crimes”.

“The UN Human Rights office has found evidence that both government and the opposition forces have committed actually judicial killing, and forced disappearances, rape, targeted violence against their civilians, often on an ethnic basis, spreading terror amongst the civilian population amongst other crimes,” he stated.

“The United States Government agrees with the conclusion that both government and opposition have committed “terrible crimes” against the civilians.”

Amb Rapp also said those who have committed these crimes must be held accountable.

Thousands have died in the violence which erupted on 15 December 2013.

Over one million people have fled their homes and are now displaced within South Sudan, according to humanitarian groups.

More than 80,000 people have sought refuge at various UN compounds across the country. In Juba, 80 percent of displaced people are women and children.

More than 450,000 people have fled to neighboring countries, many of whom had to cross the Nile River on their way to Uganda, leaving everything they had behind and risking their lives

“We know that after these events impunity simply is not possible,” he warned.

“We know that in the past violations that had occurred during the civil war prior to this country becoming independent, there wasn’t accountability and for some of the violence that occurred in a period afterward such as the Yau, Yau rebellion we haven’t heard substantial accountability for these crimes and these must end.”