Dozens of South Sudanese civilians are at risk of death in detention after they were arrested and locked up in shipping containers, says the human rights group, Amnesty international.

It says most of them are accused of having connections with the SPLM in Opposition without being charged in court.

The group says the civilians, who have been in detention for months, are fed only once or twice a week, and are subjected to periodical beatings.

It says as a result, this has led to the death of many them.

In a statement, Amnesty International revealed a satellite image, believed to be showing the four containers in which the mostly civilians are being held.

“Detainees are suffering in appalling conditions and their overall treatment is nothing short of torture

“This egregious disregard for human life and dignity must stop and for that to happen, the detention site should be immediately shut down until conditions are brought into compliance with human rights standards,” said Amnesty International’s East Africa, Horn and Great Lakes Director, Muthoni Wanyeki.

The rights watch group says the detainees are being held at Gorom, 20 km south of Juba, and the shipping containers in which they are locked are poorly ventilated.

Amnesty says it has written to the SPLA Director of Military Intelligence for more information on the Gorom detention site.

The human rights watchdog says it has also written to the Office of the President on the matter.
Local authorities the say the report still under screening, and will issue a response soon.

“I received the accusation….the report, we are studying it and we will give our response. I will not give a timeframe because there are a number of offices that are involved,” Brigadier Lul Ruai Koang, the SPLA Spokesperson, told Eye Radio when contacted.

Amnesty International reported a similar incident which occurred in the former Unity state about two months ago, in which it stated that more than 60 men and boys were deliberately suffocated in shipping containers in Leer in October last year.