Sudan rapes of 125 ‘must stop’
UN BODY: MILITARY, CIVILIANS INTERCEPTED WOMEN
Opposition makes U-turn on investigation, blaming government troops.
The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-in-Opposition (SPLM) and the United Nations peacekeeping mission in South Sudan (UNMiss) have strongly condemned the rape of 125 women and girls in the Bentiu-Rubkona area.
The condemnation followed a report by Médecins Sans Frontihères (MSF) on Friday, which stated the sexual assaults took place between November 19 and 29.
According to UNMiss, the women were intercepted by military and civilians in plain clothes while the victims were walking from their villages along roads near Nhialdu and Guit on their way to Bentiu.
“It is disappointing that this criminal act of rape still exists while the parties are implementing the peace agreement,” said SPLM military spokesperson Lam Paul Gabriel when reached by the Sudan Tribune.
The opposition initially said it planned to investigate the attacks in the areas under its control and bring those responsible to justice. But it subsequently stated the rapes took place in a government-controlled area patrolled by government forces.
The rape and abuse of women as a weapon of war in South Sudan’s civil conflict is not new, but according to MSF, last week’s assault was unprecedented and bypassed the number of rapes registered during the past 10 months, which was 104 cases.
“These attacks on vulnerable civilians are absolutely abhorrent and must stop,” said the head of UNMiss, David Shearer. “The mission has held urgent meetings with authorities and urged them to take immediate action to protect women and girls in the area and to hold the perpetrators of these terrible crimes to account,” Shearer said.
UNMiss sent further patrols to the area in an attempt to prevent such attacks. “The mission is also urging armed forces in the area to guarantee control over their troops to ensure rogue elements in their ranks are not involved in these criminal acts,” said Shearer.
These attacks are absolutely abhorrent.