Failure by victims to report human rights violations is making it difficult to hold perpetrators accountable, according to the Minister of Justice.

Paulino Wanawilla said there are reports by various human rights and research groups on gross violations of which the government has no information about.

“Nobody can say there is no violation of human rights in south Sudan; there are violations, there are those allegations,” he said.

Mr. Wanawilla said if the victims are open to the government authorities, then justice will be served.

“Although you will find that there are those allegations but unfortunately the victims who made these allegations about the government don’t talk to us as the government,” he added.

“The victims especially from the gender, women, prefer to talk to foreigners; they prefer to talk to mzungus.”

Mr. Paulino Wanawilla called on victims to cooperate with the government to combat human rights abuses in the country.

The ceasefire and transitional security monitors have been reporting gross human rights violation committed by several parties including the SPLA and opposition forces.

Some of them include rape and killing of civilians. However, some alleged perpetrators have been apprehended and arraigned in court.