A member of the ceasefire monitoring body CTSAM-VM has expressed concerns over a surge in cases of sexual violence in the country.

Major General Chuol Ruei says the peace monitor should do a follow-up of the reports of sexual and gender-based violence which, according to him are on the rise at the time of peace.

A report by the Human Rights Division of UNMISS indicated a surge in cases of sexual violence this year compared to the same period last year.

The UN report documented 63 sexual violence cases from January to March this year – up from 28 compared to the same time last year.

The reports stated armed actors such as the civil defense groups and militias were responsible for most of the violence against civilians followed by conventional parties to the conflict.

General Chuol who represents the SPLA-IO in the Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangement, Monitoring and Verification Mechanism says the matter must be seriously looked into.

He was speaking at the CTSAM-VM technical committee meeting in Juba on Wednesday.

“The report of sexual and gender based violence why should such incident keep rising instead of declining what exactly is the main core issues there,” Gen. Ruei said.

“Is it on the side of the IO is it on the side of the IG is it on the side of the SSOA or those who are investigating the cases this thing must be made very clear,

“The CTSAM-VM leadership has to do a serious follow up on this matter because it is the one dominating most of the reports that we are reading and why it should continue this way when

“We have been discussing and the leadership of the warring parties have also taken this matter seriously then we will have seen a change,

“A serious look into it should be done and see where exactly the problem emanated. I am not blaming any party as to why this happened but then we should also seriously look into it.”