A US Congressman says President Salva Kiir has assured him that the government will investigate and prosecute those who raped aid workers in Juba last month.

When renewed fighting erupted on July 8 between the bodyguards of President Salva Kiir and the bodyguards of the former First Vice President, Dr Riek Machar, Terrain hotel compound, which hosted representatives of  international NGOs was ransacked by armed men in uniform, who also gang-raped foreign aid workers.

Christopher Henry Smith, is the Chairman of Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health and Global Human Rights and International Organizations at the U.S. House of Representative.

He paid a two-day visit to Juba on Friday and Saturday. At the end of his trip, Representative Christopher met with President Salva Kiir, the First Vice President Taban Deng Gai, and the Minister of Defense Kual Manyang.

Republican Party member Mr Smith also met with expatriates at the United Nations Mission in South Sudan.

In an exclusive interview with Eye Radio, Mr Smith said he raised complaint to President Salva Kiir regarding the attack on Terrain hotel compound where one of his constituents was amongst those women who were rapped.

“President Salva Kiir said that he is for total effort to eradicate rape,” he said.

“And there was a great deal of empathy and concerned by the President and others to capture that individual or individuals.”

Late last month, the UN Mission in South Sudan reported that it had documented at least 120 cases of sexual violence where women and young girls were raped by soldiers and unidentified armed groups.

These incidents were reported from a number of locations, including areas in the vicinity of the Protection of Civilians sites near UN House, and also in other neighborhoods of Juba.

This news received global condemnation by rights groups who called on the government of South Sudan to investigate and take serious measures against the perpetrators.

A UN report also says investigators found that 1,300 women had been raped last year in the former Unity State alone.