UN urges South Sudan to prosecute sexual perpetrators

Military personnel accused of sexual violence in South Sudan should be held accountable, says the United Nations.

This was announced by the UN special representative on sexual violence in armed conflict, Zainab Hawa Bangura.

Bangura is on a four day visit to the country to validate and launch the implementation plan of the joint communiqué that she co-signed with President Salva Kiir in October 2014.

“For now it is making sure that it stops. It does not happen. People are trained, that is why we are working with military SPLA (Sudan People’s Liberation Army), to work with them to develop a structure within the military to hold themselves accountable, to be able to prosecute their own people, to be able to prevent this from happening,” said Bangura.

UN envoy: South Sudan forces involved in sexual violence should be prose… https://t.co/fS7RkwKJ1w via YouTube

— VOA60News (VOA60News) May 6, 2016

South Sudan broke into conflict in December 2013 between forces loyal to President Kiir and rebel soldiers aligned with now first vice president Riek Machar.

Since then, conflict-related sexual and gender-based violence has been widespread.

According, to Amnesty international cases of sexual slavery and incidents of gang rape of girls have been reported.

Reuters