Rape on the rise in South Sudan as fighting eases
Nicola Mandil
BBC News, Juba
Conflict-related sexual violence is on the rise in South Sudan as fighting in the country eases, according to the UN mission in the country, Unmiss.
In a report, the mission said there was a 218% increase in rape and gang rape between April and June.
“The exponential surge in sexual and gender-based violence is completely unacceptable, impacting most severely on the women and girls,” said Nicholas Haysom, the head of Unmiss.
Inter-communal conflict continues to dominate civilian casualties, followed by clashes between militias backed by government factions.
The release of the report coincided with the arrival of three experts from the UN’s Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan.
They will meet government officials, civil society representatives and diplomats to discuss the findings in the report.
