Archbichop of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan, Justin Arama addressing the media, 21 May 2018 | photo | Emmanuel Akile

Church leaders are calling upon the public to refrain from stigmatizing survivors of sexual violence.

This is a message for international Day for Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict, which is commemorated today, the 19^th of June.

A UN report released on 15^th of February this year highlights persistently high levels of sexual violence in South Sudan’s northern Unity region, with at least 134 women and girls raped, and 41 having suffered other forms of sexual and physical violence just between September and December 2018.

Almost 90 percent of the women and girls were reportedly raped by more than one perpetrator and often over several hours.

It says pregnant women and nursing mothers were also victims of sexual violence. In one incident alone on 17 December, in the village of Lang in Koch County, five women were gang-raped, four of whom were pregnant, including one who was nearly nine months pregnant.

“Some survivors of conflict-related violence are condemned and rejected by their families, and as a result they are ostracized and relegated to the margins of societies -turning them into outcasts,” a press statement signed by nine senior church officials noted.

The religious leaders condemned stigmatization of the survivors, and called for compassion and special care for the survivors of sexual violence.

“The values of love and respect for one another, healing the physically or mentally wounded are the foundation for a peaceful and prosperous society,” Archbishop and Primate of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan, Reverend Justin Badi Arama said while reading the message in Juba on Wednesday morning.

The UN often describes the sexual violence situation in South Sudan as widespread, especially in the areas that have been witnessing the conflict since 2013.