South Sudanese rebel forces have denied their fighters raped women during an assault on Juba, the South Sudanese capital earlier in July, a spokesperson of the rebel movement said here Wednesday.
“Our forces pulled out of Juba on July 11,” Dickson Gatluak, deputy spokesperson of the rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO) said in a statement.
He denied accusations by Human Rights Watch (HRW) that SPLA/IO forces took part in rape of civilians and extensive looting during and after clashes that occurred in Juba last month.
“Our forces did not involve in raping or killing in Juba,” Gatluak emphasised, calling for further investigation into the allegations.
Fierce fighting broke out in Juba, on the eve of South Sudan’s independence anniversary, leading to large-scale evacuation of civilians and foreign nationals from parts of the country.
Fighters loyal to Vice President Riek Machar fought against President Salva Kiir’s soldiers around the Presidential Palace.
According to HRW, during a four-day period, the two sides battled in several locations around Juba.
HRW researchers in Juba heard accounts of soldiers firing indiscriminately, hitting densely populated areas or displaced people’s camps inside UN bases.
At least a dozen civilians who had sought safety in the UN camps died and scores were wounded.
Researchers also documented targeted killings, rapes and gang rapes, beatings, looting, and harassment, often along ethnic lines, in several areas of Juba.
Thongpiny, Munuki, Mangaten, Gudele, and Jebel neighborhoods were particularly affected. Due to security restrictions to some affected areas, researchers could not establish the full scale of abuse.
“In fact, we in the Sudan People’s Liberation Army in opposition (SPLA-IO) were surprised to learn that our partner to the Compromise Peace Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (ARCISS) had not honoured its commitment to a complete withdrawal of all non-state security actors including [the Sudanese rebels], the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) [notwithstanding], from the territory of South Sudan.”
According to the SPLA-IO, the government forces were behind the rape and other cruel acts.
“We respect and ensure the respect of international human rights and international humanitarian law at all times, in all places and by all soldiers under command of SPLA/IO and put in place measures to prevent and punish sexual violence crimes,” the rebel movement said.
The rebels said political leaders in charge of the movement resolved that cases of sexual violence committed by soldiers within SPLA/IO areas of responsibilities should be reported to the hierarchy and arrested and hand over alleged perpetrators of war crimes to relevant authorities.
“We also agreed on provision of unfettered access to military justice officials to interview alleged perpetrators and handing over those accused and those convicted to the authorities,” the movement said.
Gatluak said the SPLA/IO has affirmed its strong commitment to combat sexual violence by undertaking regular activities to raise awareness on sexual violence for soldiers under its controlled areas.
