The United Nations is blasting both sides in the South Sudan civil war, telling the leaders they must stop “blindly dragging their people down the path of self-destruction” and warning that they would face investigation for possible war crimes and crimes against humanity.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay met with rebel leader Riek Machar and President Salva Kiir, and says is “appalled by apparent lack of concern displayed” displayed by both men, about risk of famine in the country.  Pillay also says more than 9,000 children have been recruited as soldiers by both government and rebel forces.

The UN Security Council is threatening sanctions against those responsible for the continuing violence, and has condemned the mass killings of hundreds of civilians in the oil producing city of Bentiu last month.  Hundreds of bodies were found in the city, including in a mosque where people of different ethnic groups fled to avoid the rebel attack.

Fighting broke out in December when President Kiir accused his deputy Machar of plotting a coup.  Machar denied it, but suddenly had mobilized a rebel force to fight the government.  South Sudan’s two main ethnic groups then lined up behind each man.