Bilpam publishes names of over 185,000 soldiers killed during civil war

Photo: List of names of South Sudan army soldiers published at Bilpam and believed to have been killed during the civil war which ended in February this year.

JUBA – South Sudan army headquarters in Bilpam on Tuesday published almost 200,000 thousand names of soldiers it said were killed during the six-year-old civil war which began in December 2013, according to military officials.

South Sudan’s army in December 2013 split into two factions with each loyal to president Salva Kiir and First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny.

A fighting which initially started at al-Qiada opposite to Juba University spread to Bilpam.

Later on, civilians were killed based on ethnicity by men believed to be militias armed at the highest level of the country’s leadership.

Machar who had fled the city went into hiding but later on emerged as a rebel leader forming what is now the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army in Opposition (SPLM/SPLA –IO)

Speaking to Sudans Post today, a senior member of the South Sudan People’s Defense Force (SSPDF) said Bilpam has decided to publish all the names so that it help in the compensation process which he said is being organized by the army.

“The names of those who died during the six years of South Sudanese civil war have been published. They are 185,188 soldiers who died in different fronts in the country defending the constitution,” the military source said.

The official said they were also given a few weeks to civilians to bring to the attention of the army any soldiers which might have died during the civil war.

The number has not been verified but, international organizations have said that almost 400,000 people have died since the conflict began in December 2013.