South Sudan government forces blamed for 114 civilian deaths

Juba - A new United Nations report says South Sudanese pro-government forces killed 114 civilians in recent months amid the country's civil war.

The report released on Friday by the UN human rights office says those cases and other abuses in the town of Yei between July and January may amount to crimes against humanity.

Other abuses include the indiscriminate shelling of civilians, targeted killings, looting and burning and sexual violence.

The report points out the "startling level of impunity in South Sudan" that has fed cycles of deadly ethnic violence.

South Sudan government spokesman Ateny Wek Ateny rejects the report's findings, saying the government is operating within the law.

The new report says opposition forces also have been responsible for abuses in South Sudan's conflict, now in its fourth year.