UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan report on Monday describes that women and girls are hellish existence due to widespread rape perpetrated by all armed groups across the country.
“It is outrageous and completely unacceptable that, women’s bodies are systematically used on this scale as the spoils of war,” declared Yasmin Sooka, chair of the UN Commission.
She says “urgent and demonstrable action by authorities is long overdue, and South Sudanese men must stop regarding the female body as ‘territory’ to be owned, controlled and exploited.”
The report detailed brutal and prolonged gang rapes perpetrated against them by multiple men, often while their husbands, parents or children have been forced to watch, helpless to intervene.
Women of all ages recounted being raped multiple times while other women were also being raped around them.
“Anyone reading the details of this horrific report can only begin to imagine what life is like for the survivors. These accounts are unfortunately just the tip of the iceberg. Everyone, inside and outside governments, should be thinking what they can do to prevent further acts of sexual violence and to provide adequate care for the survivors,” said Andrew Clapham, member of the Commission.
A woman described her friend being raped by a man in the jungle who then said he wanted to continue to ‘have fun’ and further raped her with a firewood stick until she bled to death.
Teenage girls described being left for dead by their rapists while bleeding heavily.
Medical personnel say many survivors have been raped multiple times throughout their lifetime.
The report describes women often bearing children as a result of the rapes, and notes that in many cases survivors have contracted sexually transmitted infections including HIV.