A/HRC/45/CRP.3 60. Over the next two months, hundreds of women, men, and children remained hiding in the bush where they were deprived of access to adequate food, potable water, and shelter until SPLA members left Wadhalelo in March 2017.74 Government soldiers returned the following month, however, and succeeded in driving SPLA-IO (RM) forces out of Wadhalelo in April. For several days thereafter, they “looted the entire town”, stealing goats, chickens, motorcycles, bicycles, and grains, including sorghum75 which adversely impacted on the availability of livestock feed and effectively ensured that displaced civilians would have nothing to return to. Credible information received by the Commission indicated that the SPLA 5th Division commander was in control of these offensives.76 61. After looting the payam for one week, SPLA soldiers next stationed at a base in Kubri Gedim, situated approximately 18 to 20 kilometres from Wadhalelo.77 Displaced civilians who returned to Wadhalelo in March 2017, however, were unable to rebuild their lives as their homes (tukuls) had been deliberately burned down by SPLA forces and their harvests destroyed and livestock looted. 62. Despite having again left Wadhalelo in March 2017, SPLA soldiers in groups of 15 or more regularly returned between April and May from Kubri Gedim to conduct what civilians referred to as “patrols”, during which time soldiers went from house to house “looting any property they could find.”78 SPLA soldiers raped at least four girls aged 12 to 15 years during these patrols, three of whom were gang-raped by three soldiers, and the fourth gang-raped by five soldiers.79 Also during the patrols, SPLA soldiers forced boys to carry sacks of sorghum back to their base in Kubri Gedim, later shooting and killing some of the boys after they had delivered the food items.80 63. In response, enraged and desperate civilians who had returned to Wadhalelo increasingly began volunteering to join the SPLA-IO (RM) “as the only means to defend their community”.81 By May 2017, residents requested the assistance and protection of SPLA-IO (RM) forces, who in turn set up a base in the Wadhalelo primary school. 82 According to one woman, the situation in Wadhalelo payam calmed thereafter,83 and SPLA-IO (RM) forces remained in Wadhalelo until June 2018.84 b. June 2018 64. Renewed fighting broke out in Wadhalelo in June 2018,85 when SPLA forces86 deployed from their base in Umbili87 and crossed the river.88 Terrified civilians comprising primarily women and children began fleeing on foot, leaving all of their possessions behind including objects indispensable to their survival, such as goats, ERN 101836 – 101841, para. 7. ERN 101828 – 101835, para. 8; ERN 101886 – 101890, para. 7. 76 ERN 101587 – 101592, para. 20. 77 ERN 101828 – 101835, para. 9. 78 ERN 101828 – 101835, para. 10. 79 ERN 101828 – 101835, para. 10. 80 ERN 101828 – 101835, para. 11. 81 ERN 101828 – 101835, para. 11. 82 ERN 101886 – 101890, paras. 6-8; ERN 101828 – 101835, para. 6; ERN101799 – 101803, para. 6; Confidential document, D113892 – D113900; Confidential document, D113942 – D113947. 83 ERN 101828 – 101835, para. 12. 84 ERN 101886 – 101890, paras. 6-8; ERN 101828 – 101835, para. 6; ERN 101799 – 101803, para. 6; Confidential document, D113892 – D113900; Confidential document, D113942 – D113947. 85 ERN 101828 – 101835, para. 13. 86 The soldiers were identified as being part of the SPLA 5 Division, in part by the elephant logo on their uniforms which is the 5 Division logo. ERN 101799 – 101803, para. 6. 87 ERN 101577 – 101581, para. 7. 88 ERN 101836 – 101841, para. 9; ERN 101886 – 101890, paras. 8-10; ERN 101836 – 101841, para. 9. 74 75 17