At least 120 rape cases by men in military uniform and in plain clothes, against civilians seeking protection around Juba following the recent clashes have been documented by the United Nations, says the agency’s Deputy Spokesperson.

The civilians are mainly those who fled the recent violence between the SPLA and the SPLA-IO.
UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq says the UN Mission in South Sudan continues to receive reports of the cases.

The reports included “rape and gang rape, by soldiers in uniform and men in plain clothes against civilians, including minors, around UN House and in other areas of Juba,” he said in a media briefing.

Mr. Haq said the UN has called upon all parties in the country to take personal responsibility of immediately sanctioning their soldiers involved in the act.

He says UNMISS has stepped up patrols in and around the PoC sites, as well as Juba to provide protection for women at designated time.

This is to allow them to leave the women to go out of the PoC sites to go and collect firewood, and access other non-food items.

The army Spokesperson, Brigadier Lul Ruai earlier told Eye Radio that accusations against soldiers were being addressed by the SPLA General Headquarters.

Brigadier Lul also said the army has formed a court martial to try soldiers accused of committing sexual violence, among other cases.

Meanwhile, Amnesty International says abduction of girls and women is still going on in parts of the country, specifically, in the region of Unity.

It says women continue to be deprived of their liberty in conditions that amount to slavery and sexual slavery in the region.

In a statement, Amnesty International says earlier violations that were documented in Unity, and in Leer, between August and December 2015 by, including attack against the civilian population or an individual civilian, sexual violence, slavery and sexual slavery, and destruction of civilian property, food and other items needed for survival, by men in military uniform, have gone unpunished.