UPDATE UN envoy hits out at South Sudan sexual violence

ADDS UN REPORT CLAIMING RAPE, KILLING BY GOVT FORCES

By Parach Mach

JUBA, South Sudan (AA) - The UN is urging East African trade bloc IGAD to pressure South Sudan to take crack down on sexual assault amid clashes between ex-rebels and government forces in the capital, Juba.

“I commend the leadership role of Intergovernmental Authority on Development [IGAD] in seeking a political solution to the crisis in South Sudan, and its condemnation of the egregious sexual violence crimes being committed,” said UN Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict Zainab Hawa Bangura in a statement issued late Wednesday.

She urged local officials “to acknowledge the gravity of sexual violence; to request the South Sudanese authorities to take immediate measures to prevent their troops and associated militia from committing these crimes; and to take action against those responsible."

Bangura said sexual violence had been a brutal feature of the conflict in South Sudan, and were being committed with total impunity, in a pattern that suggested they were part of a military strategy, commanded and condoned against the civilian population, especially women and girls.

She said at least 200 victims, including women and girls, were raped or gang-raped, allegedly by members of the military and associated militia amid the fighting that erupted in Juba last month.

In communiques signed in 2014, South Sudan’s government and rebel leaders – President Salva Kiir and then-First Vice-President Riek Machar – made a commitment to immediately cease and prevent the commission of sexual assault, hold perpetrators accountable, and improve services to survivors.

East Africa’s eight-nation trade and security bloc IGAD is scheduled to meet in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa Friday to look into the crisis in South Sudan, which has been a growing concern for the region.

- UN report: Over 200 raped by govt forces last month

Over 200 women were raped in Juba last month in what appear to be organized and systematic attacks by government forces, a UN report claimed Thursday.

The government SPLA committed widespread violations during and after the July fighting, said UN human rights chief Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein.

“We have documented at least 217 cases of sexual violence in Juba between 8 and 25 July,” Zeid said. “In a few areas, women from various ethnic groups were raped by heavily armed youth believed to be affiliated to the SPLA in Opposition (SPLA/IO),”

The UN said that in addition, some civilians were "reportedly summarily executed by Government (SPLA) soldiers, who appear to have specifically targeted people of Nuer origin."

South Sudan’s rebels are largely ethnic Nuer, while government loyalists are largely ethnic Dinka.

"On 11 July, South Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) soldiers reportedly arrested eight Nuer civilians during house-to-house searches in Juba’s Munuki area and took them to two nearby hotels, where they shot four of them" the UN said.

However government denied the accusations, saying it has established a court martial to try SPLA soldiers accused of committing crimes against civilians.

"The army's duty is to safeguard security and stability, not to engage in raping, looting, or killing as alleged," army spokesman Brigadier Gen. Lual Ruai Koang told Anadolu Agency.