from RAJI BASHIR in Khartoum, Sudan
Sudan Bureau
KHARTOUM, (CAJ News) – CASES of conflict-related sexual violence in South Sudan have more than doubled over the past year despite an overall decrease in violence against civilians.
From January to March 2022, the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) documented 63 cases of conflict-related sexual violence. This is up from 28 compared to the same time last year.
Overall, 173 incidents impacted a total of 754 civilian victims, reflecting a 32 percent decrease of incidents and about the same number of civilian victims, compared to the same quarter in 2021.
Civil defense groups and militias accounted for the majority of violence against civilians (64 percent), followed by conventional parties to the conflict (34 percent).
The majority of violence was associated with inter- or intra-communal forms of conflict.
Nicholas Haysom, Special Representative of the Secretary-General, indicated that UNMISS would step up its efforts on tackling conflict-related sexual violence.
“It continues to be one of the most traumatic features of the conflict in South Sudan,” he said.
With violence surging in several parts of the country, UNMISS urged the government to investigate human rights violations and abuses and hold all perpetrators to account.
The world’s newest country after attaining independence in 2011, is emerging from years of civil war.
– CAJ News