During the South Sudanese conflict that began in December 2013 , the national government lost control of the town to a commander loyal to former vice president Riek Machar , although Machar denied this . Violence in the area continued , and on January 17 , 2014 , a United Nations official was quoted as saying that the town “ simply did not exist anymore ” , and that “ it was completely burnt down ” . In April 2014 , hundreds of Bentiu civilians were massacred by the “ Sudan People ’s Liberation Movement in Opposition Army ” led by Machar
hundreds of Bentiu civilians were massacred
2014 Bentiu massacre
Bentiu