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South Sudan's First VP Denies Allegations of Human Rights Abuses

Dimo Silva Aurelio

   JUBA, SOUTH SUDAN - South Sudanese First Vice President Taban Deng Gai
   is denying allegations of human rights abuses and criticizing U.S.
   sanctions against him.

   The U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control
   sanctioned Deng on Wednesday. Officials say Deng arranged and directed
   the deaths of two prominent activists -- human rights lawyer Samuel
   Dong Luak and opposition politician Aggrey Iddri -- and tried to derail
   South Sudan's peace process. Conflict broke out in 2013 following a
   power struggle between President Salva Kiir and then-Vice President
   Riek Machar.

   The U.S. government also says Deng worked to divide opposition
   opponents and members of the broader ethnic Nuer community who were
   displaced because of the conflict. Officials say he directed the
   actions to solidify his position within Kiir's government and to
   intimidate members of the SPLM-IO, of which Iddri was a member.

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