A/HRC/40/CRP.1 men had fled.1373 As one witness put it: “We are stuck there in the middle between the SPLA and the IO, both mistreat us.”1374 In response to the SPLA-IO’s presence in Wadhalelo, between January and August 2017, there were outbreaks of violence as the SPLA 5 Division forces sought to push out the SPLA-IO.1375 Civilians fled to the bush to escape the fighting and when they returned, they found their homes burned and their possessions stolen. 1376 In April 2017, the SPLA managed to drive out the SPLA-IO and remained there for seven days. During this time, they looted the entire town including goats, chickens, motorcycles, bicycles and grain.1377 Through April and May, they regularly returned to Wadhalelo on patrols of 15 or more soldiers, searching house-to-house and looting any property they found. They forced three young men to carry looted property back to their base and then shot and killed them there.1378 During this period, government soldiers raped four girls between the ages of 12 and 15. Each girl was raped by two to five soldiers. 1379 The same pattern recurred in June 2017. One witness described the SPLA arriving on foot and in military vehicles and shooting in all directions. They again looted the town, going from house-to-house. At least three more women were raped by Government soldiers, one of whom was 17 or 18 years old.1380 Between August 2017 and January 2018, the area was relatively calm.1381 Nonetheless, Wadhalelo faced a difficult humanitarian situation as neither the only school nor the clinic were operational and there was a scarcity of water and medicine. 1382 On or about 11 June 2018, just over a week after the new 5 Division SPLA Commander had arrived in Wau, the SPLA launched an attack on SPLA-IO positions in Wadhalelo apparently upon instruction to conduct disarmament in the area.1383 At least 150 SPLA soldiers arrived in military vehicles and by foot. 1384 The soldiers were identified as being part of the SPLA 5 Division headquartered in Wau, in part by the elephant logo on their uniforms, which is the 5 Division logo.1385 By the SPLA’s own description, they encountered very minimal resistance from the SPLA-IO.1386 The attack started in the early morning. Witnesses described heavy shooting and tukuls burning down – some set fire to intentionally, others catching fire as a result of bombardment.1387 Witnesses reported multiple women being raped and gang raped by SPLA soldiers. 1388 One 28-year-old woman described to the Commission: “[The soldier] raped me while my 1373 Witness 913, ERN 101799-101803, para. 6; Witness 925, ERN 101886-101890, paras. 7, 9; Witness 931, ERN 101799-101803, para. 5; Witness 880, ERN 101567-101571, para. 6; Witness 882, ERN 101577-101581, para. 6; Confidential Meeting, Wau, 23 October 2018. 1374 Witness 880, ERN 101567-101571, para. 12. 1375 Confidential Document, ERN D113892-D113900; Witness 925, ERN 101886-101890, para. 7; Witness 915, ERN 101828101835, paras. 8-12; Witness 913, ERN 101799-101803, paras. 7, 8. 1376 Witness 925, ERN 101886-101890, para. 7; Witness 913, ERN 101799-101803, para. 7; Confidential Document, ERN D113892D113900. 1377 Witness 915, ERN 101828-101835, para. 8. 1378 Witness 915, ERN 101828-101835, para. 11. 1379 Witness 915, ERN 101828-101835, para. 10. 1380 Witness 913, ERN 101799-101803, para. 8. 1381 Confidential Document, ERN D113892-D113900. 1382 Confidential Document, ERN D113892-D113900; Confidential Document, ERN D113942-D113947. 1383 CTSAMM, Report 2018/24 – Military Movement and Offensive Military Operations in the Wau Area, 26 July 2018; Confidential Document, ERN D113942-D113947; Confidential Document, ERN D116022-D116118; Confidential Document, ERN D116253D116260. See also Witness 915, ERN 101828-101835, para. 13; Witness 913, ERN 101799-101803, para. 9; Witness 880, ERN 101567-101571, para. 7; Witness 882, ERN 101577-101581, para. 6. 1384 Witness 931, ERN 101799-101803, para. 6; Witness 880, ERN 101567-101571, para. 8. 1385 Witness 931, ERN 101799-101803, para. 6. 1386 Confidential Document, ERN D113942-D113947. See also Witness 915, ERN 101828-101835, para. 13; Witness 925, ERN 101886-101890, para. 10. 1387 Witness 931, ERN 101799-101803, para. 6; Witness 880, ERN 101567-101571, para. 7; Witness 882, ERN 101577-101581, para. 7. 1388 Witness 931, ERN 101799-101803, para. 7; Witness 915, ERN 101828-101835, paras. 18, 19; Witness 913, ERN 101799101803, para. 11; Witness 881, ERN 101582-101586, paras. 6-9; Witness 882, ERN 101577-101581, para. 8. 169