The government and the UN mission in the county have agreed to investigate crimes allegedly committed at the sites of protection of civilians across the country.

The alleged offences include killing, rapes and theft. The perpetrators are said to be IDPs.

The two institutions announced the decision in Juba today after a meeting at the Ministry of Justice.

Moustapha Soumare is the Deputy Special Representative of the United Nation Secretary General in South Sudan.

“We have agreed  that this is going to be implemented through the SOFA [Status of Forces Agreement] and we yet have to define and device what are the most appropriate mechanism which is going to be in line not only with the sofa but also fully in line with the South Sudanese law,” said Mr Soumare.

SOFA is an agreement signed between the host-country and a foreign nation stationing military forces in that country.

For his part, the Minister of Justice, Paulino Wanawila, says the suspects will be investigated under the penal code.

“We have agreed that those people who are there are South Sudanese,” he argued. “The South Sudanese panel [code] will be applied to them if they are found that they have committed an acts that are amount to offences.”

The UN sites of protection of civilians include those in Juba, Bor, Bentiu and Malakal.