Yei River County | Credit | Karte: NordNordWest, Lizenz: Creative Commons

Some members of the organized forces implicated in recent human rights violations in Central Equatoria State have pleaded guilty, a civil society activist has said.

This was revealed on Tuesday during the first hearing of the case involving 75 soldiers accused of committing various crimes rape, murder and looting in Yei River County.

In recent weeks, there have been disturbing reports of rape, killings and other forms of gross human rights abuses allegedly perpetrated by men in uniform in Juba and around Yei River County.

In May, a member of the national parliament representing Yei River told Eye Radio that 19 women were sexually assaulted in Lasu, Otugo, Rubeke and Libogo areas between March and April this year.

In a move to hold some perpetrators to account, the army spokesperson last week confirmed that 75 soldiers were arrested in connection with rape and sexual harassment in areas around Yei River.

The executive Director of Foundation for Democracy and Accountable Governance, Jame David Kolok – who attended the court hearing – says some of the accused confessed to having raped women and girls in the area.

“The majority of the accused have accepted that they actually committed the crimes,” Jame David Kolok told Eye radio on Wednesday.

The UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan has also expressed concerns over the increase of gender based and sexual related violence imposed on women during the coronavirus pandemic.

A UN report further revealed that more than a hundred women and girls have been raped since the signing of the revitalized peace agreement.