South Sudanese soldiers' rape and murder trial adjourned

The trial of 13 South Sudanese soldiers accused of the murder of an aid worker and the rape of his colleagues has been adjourned till June 20.

The 13 appeared in court for the second time on Tuesday in Juba.

The trial judge adjourned for two weeks after the army removed its chief prosecutor over the weekend.

“Most of the witnesses that are suppose dto appear in this court or in this case are outside the country including the victims themselves, so this is why the court has been adjourned”, said Colonel Santo Domic Chol, SPLA spokesperson.

The murder and rape occurred during an attack on the Terrain Hotel in Juba on July 11, 2016 as President Salva Kiir’s troops won a three-day battle in the capital against opposition forces loyal to former Vice President Riek Machar.

The attack, one of the worst on aid workers in South Sudan’s civil war, lasted for several hours. A South Sudanese aid worker was killed and at least five women, including foreigners, were raped during the attack.

Rights groups have questioned the trial’s fairness because it is being held in a military court not easily accessible to witnesses or the public.

AFP