Sixty South Sudanese soldiers have been tried before a court martial for alleged crimes committed during last month’s fighting in the capital Juba, the army spokesman said Monday.
Brigadier-General Lul Ruai Koang said they include looting, murder, shooting and loitering with at least two officers convicted of murder. He said the military is “waiting for presidential approval” before revealing the exact number of those convicted and their sentences.
“They have been tried and the sentences have been passed to the high authorities,” Brigadier-General Koang said.
However, none of the 60 were charged with rape despite many reported incidents of sex attacks by government soldiers on civilians and aid workers.
Brigadier-General Koang said rape victims had failed to come before the court martial, which was neither held in public nor publicised in advance.
“One problem we have been having is lack of evidence. We have been accused left and right by Human Rights Watch and UNMISS [the UN Mission in South Sudan] but unfortunately they have not come forward with evidence for us to move forward against those who have been suspected of committing the crime,” Brigadier-General Koang said.
“As we speak now we have not received a single complainant who says or confirms that she has been raped so it has been very difficult for us to bring any soldier to book because of lack of evidence,” he said.
Brigadier-General Koang added that anyone with evidence should bring it to the military.
Survivors of attacks, human rights groups and the UN all reported many rapes during and after an outbreak of fighting between government and opposition forces in the capital last month threatening an already weak peace agreement.
At least 300 people were killed in the latest violence, and more than 60,000 forced to flee the country.
South Sudan’s civil war began in December 2013, but a peace deal signed a year ago has so far failed to end the fighting.
Source:http://www.worldaffairsjournal.org/content/south-sudan-tries-60-soldiers-alleged-crimes-during-recent-unrest
Newer articles:
- Photos show South Sudan rebel leader in apparent good health - 02/09/2016 22:28
- South Sudan religious leaders call for protection force - 02/09/2016 22:11
- U.N. council in S.Sudan to press govt to cooperate or face arms embargo - 02/09/2016 14:33
- In South Sudan, UN struggles (again) with how to protect civilians - 02/09/2016 07:37
- US denounces South Sudan child soldier recruitment - 31/08/2016 10:58
Older news items
- Catholic missionaries stay in South Sudan after attack on foreigners - 29/08/2016 18:00
- One year after peace deal, South Sudan 'worse off' - 26/08/2016 16:18
- South Sudan Peace Deal Anniversary - 26/08/2016 11:53
- S. Sudan ex-VP Machar discharged from Khartoum hospital: aides - 26/08/2016 10:30
- Waiting for word: St. John's couple hope for speedy approval of refugee relatives - 26/08/2016 07:41
Latest news items (all categories):
- UAE company agreed to loan $13B to South Sudan in exchange for oil - 27/04/2024 16:44
- South Sudan auditor flags spending of IMF funds - 27/04/2024 16:41
- UN Aid Trucks Held up at South Sudan Border - 27/04/2024 16:37
- South Sudanese comedians find laughs in painful past - 27/04/2024 16:34
- The DRC had the world's biggest military spend increase last year – and South Sudan was second - 27/04/2024 16:29
Random articles (all categories):
- UN requests Vietnam to deploy Covid-19 testing center in South Sudan - 14/12/2020 01:16
- Rebels in South Sudan free 18 UN peacekeepers - 29/10/2015 20:56
- Ministry of Health and UNICEF call for increase in breastfeeding practice in South Sudan - 03/08/2021 14:22
- Education Is The Key To Development - 01/07/2021 12:01
- UN renews S. Sudan mission, with arms embargo threat - 15/03/2018 08:52
Popular articles:
- Who is the darkest person in the world, according to Guinness World Record? - 25/10/2022 02:34 - Read 31609 times
- No oil in troubled waters - 25/03/2014 15:02 - Read 21860 times
- School exam results in South Sudan show decline - 01/04/2012 17:58 - Read 20741 times
- NDSU student from South Sudan receives scholarship - In-Forum - 29/09/2012 01:44 - Read 17291 times
- With prisons full, South Sudan to introduce mobile courts to clear backlog of cases - 11/10/2012 11:29 - Read 14214 times