A report by Amnesty International has recommended to President Salva Kiir to order the National Security Service to allow civil society and the media to operate freely.
Also, to speak out critically, and to document and investigate sexual violence in the country.
The 40-page report released today on conflict-related sexual violence and impunity in South Sudan, titled: “If you don’t cooperate, I’ll gun you down”.
It reveals how conflict-related sexual violence is ongoing in the country, and how guns can be used to facilitate sexual violence.
The rights watch-dog documented that survivors of conflict-related sexual violence were raped by a wide range of individuals, including government soldiers, members of the SPLA-IO, the National Salvation Front, or NAS, armed men and unarmed men; including teenage boys.
The organization said it conducted the investigation amid fighting between government forces and the National Salvation Front in Central Equatoria state in February and March 2022.
It documented over a dozen cases of conflict-related sexual violence from recent years, including women who were raped at gunpoint.
Three survivors, according to the report, were abducted and made to carry out forced labor or used for sex for between two and four years.
The survivors testified to Amnesty International that they gave birth after being raped.
One of the survivors, Angelina, not her real name, told Amnesty International that, in February 2022, government soldiers came to her house at night and demanded she come outside, when she did, they raped her.
According to the rights group, since January 2020, only a handful of conflict-related sexual violence cases committed against civilians by state security officials have been brought to trial in military or civilian courts, which only scratches the surface of the scale of cases.
Amnesty International said it opposes the use of South Sudanese military courts to deal with serious human rights violations against civilians.
This is because they do not meet fair trial standards.
14 individuals, including South Sudanese lawyers, a member of the SSPDF, a prosecutor, a judge and UN staff working in the justice sector, told Amnesty International that South Sudan lacks effective protection mechanisms for victims and witnesses.
Individuals closely involved in the 2020 Yei military tribunals’ trials told the group that survivors had to identify their perpetrators in the same room, putting them at risk of re-traumatization and reprisal attacks.
Amnesty International has also documented systematic harassment of civil society, journalists, and government critics by the security personnel.
In its recommendations, the rights group called on President Kiir “to publicly acknowledge the role of government actors in perpetrating sexual violence, speak out publicly against sexual violence, and make public apologies to victims.”
It also recommended to President Kiir “to suspend public officials or prevent the appointment to public positions of individuals allegedly responsible for violations of international humanitarian or human rights law, until independent, impartial and effective investigations are concluded.”
Amnesty International called on the head of state to order the National Security Service to allow civil society and media to operate freely, to speak out critically, and to document and investigate sexual violence.
The group further recommended to Kiir “to sign the Memorandum of Understanding for the Hybrid Court for South Sudan and adopt the Draft Statute of the Hybrid Court for South Sudan, and ensure that the court becomes rapidly operational.”
According to human rights groups, members of the organized forces often make the work of the media difficult by assaulting, intimidating, detaining and even killing journalists.
They said dozens of the journalists have been killed in line of duty while several others have fled into exile fearing for their lives after being threatened with death by security agents.
Since South Sudan’s independence in July 2011, freedom of expression has been severely restricted.
According to the UN Commission on Human Rights, South Sudan is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist.
In February last year, Amnesty International revealed a report accusing the national security of using abusive surveillance to terrorize journalists, activists, and government critics.
Reporters Without Borders also found that several journalists have over the last three years sought refuge outside South Sudan to escape the harassment.
The government has, however, often insisted it accords freedom of the press in South Sudan.
In August last year, Vice President, Dr. James Wani Igga reminded government institutions to facilitate access to information and the freedom of media for South Sudan to prosper.
He said the media and activists provide the government with views necessary for reforms.
The government is yet to comment on the Amnesty International report.