A/HRC/14/41 accountability mechanisms. The security forces have been slow to respond effectively to reports of threats of imminent violence and to put an end to the inter-tribal suspicions that underlie the violence. The capacity of the SSPS as a law enforcement authority is weak, composed of 28,000 police officers, many of whom are illiterate or have no formal education. The force is also ill-equipped and has a physical presence in about only 110 police stations; many communities in Southern Sudan therefore do not benefit from any security protection. This, together with the lack of police investigation skills and knowledge of criminal procedures, has resulted in cases being poorly investigated and suspects detained for long periods without being charged with an offence. B. Abuses by the Sudan People’s Liberation Army 35. The limited capacity of the SSPS has led to the usurpation of police powers by the SPLA. These interventions very often result in serious human rights abuses by SPLA soldiers. During the elections, the SPLA harassed, threatened and, in some cases, arbitrarily arrested and detained opposition political party members as well as National Election Commission officials. Four members of the SPLM-DC, a rival political party, were arrested in September 2009, and are still detained in SPLA barracks with no charges brought against them. The SPLA is also known to have interfered in law enforcement, such as in the execution of arrest warrants and the Government’s civilian disarmament exercises. On 9 December, authorities in Upper Nile State confirmed that civilians had been mistreated and tortured by SPLA men during a disarmament exercise in Akoka County from 4 to 6 December 2009. A local chief and a young girl had their arms broken and women and children were reportedly immersed in water to extract confessions. On 2 October 2009, an argument between soldiers escalated into a gun fight between two SPLA units in which heavy machine guns and vehicles with mounted artillery were used. At least 20 people, including 6 civilians, were killed. Ten other civilians were wounded. C. Attacks by the Lord’s Resistance Army 36. Attacks by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) continued to be reported in South Sudan throughout 2009, most recently in Western Bahr el Ghazal, as LRA elements moved north from Eastern Equatoria State. On 15 December, a suspected LRA attack was reported in Bor Medina in Western Bahr el Ghazal State, in which 1 person was allegedly killed and 13 people abducted. A second attempted attack on 17 December in the same area was repelled by the SPLA. Another LRA attack on 12 August 2009 in Ezo, Western Equatoria, resulted in 17 people being abducted. On 24 March 2010, UNMIS interviewed three children in Yambio (two girls, aged 15 and 13 years, and a 13 year old boy), who escaped from LRA captivity. The girls reported being taken as “wives” and repeatedly raped during their captivity. In spite of these attacks, it is thought that the LRA is now a weakened force in South Sudan. D. Southern Sudan Human Rights Commission 37. On 27 January 2010, the independent expert met in Juba with the Chairperson and members of the Southern Sudan Human Rights Commission, a relatively new institution established in 2009. At 31 December 2009, it was present in all but 2 of the 10 States of Southern Sudan. The main focus of its activities has been human rights awareness campaigns, which have targeted local community leaders. The Commission has also published and disseminated educational materials on human rights for the general public. The challenges faced by the Commission include institutional capacity-building, financial GE.10-13648 9