South Sudan victims of sexual violence reach 32,000: UN

The number of sexual violence victims in South Sudan in the aftermath of the more than two years of civil war has reached 32,000 excluding death-related cases, the UN said on Wednesday.

The spokesman for the UN Mission in South Sudan, Ariane Quentier, said that despite measures put in place to mitigate the scale of sexual violence in the country, nothing will be achieved unless victims are free to speak out and report about it to relevant authorities.

"We shall not be able to address sexual violence unless people who have been victimised speak out and report it," Ariane told journalists in Juba.

Several UN reports on the South Sudan civil war have accused both former warring parties -- the government troops (SPLA) and the rebels (SPLA-IO) -- of raping women, girls and abducting children.

"Some 32,000 have been victimised since conflict broke out in December 2013 and it has been used as a weapon of war to destabilise communities," said Naweza Muderhwa, the UNMISS Women Protection Officer.

Ariane said: "all parties including SPLA, SPLA-IO and other local militia groups affiliated to both parties committed sexual violence during conflict."

Ariane said sexual violence was still a "new notion" in South Sudan despite officials trying to create awareness on it.

She added most cases were committed in the northern states of Jonglei, Unity and Upper Nile, which had been hit hard by the brutal conflict.

"Accountability is important. It's why we (UN) and other independent organizations are documenting human rights violations," she said.

Ariane added they were currently involved in documenting witnesses and had conducted workshops across the country to highlight sexual violence effects.

South Sudan is recovering from the aftermath of the civil war, which was ended by the formation of a transitional unity government by the former warring parties in April. Endit