The Civil Society Organization Network in Lakes States has condemned rape cases reported in Neemthok and Adol villages of Eastern Barnaam County.
In a statement to CRN, the two separate rape cases where on Monday morning at Neemthok and Adol of Aduel Eastern Barnam County of Western Lakes State.
In Adol area of Bar Makuei, armed men raped a 19-year-old pregnant woman at gun point at around 11 PM.
Meanwhile a mother of six children was also reportedly raped in the same night in Neemthok Village of Aduel Eastern Bar-Naam County.
According to Crime Inspector in Aduel police station, Major Makoi Machol, the suspects are known to the government.
He says the suspects reportedly clashed with government soldiers on Sunday last week in Kaaric area of Atiaba Payam last week.
The Civil Society Organization strongly condemns the continuous rape of innocent mothers and girls in the state.
‘We will not relent, sit down and watch, while we are crying after the rape of our mothers, we need to ensure that justice take its own course on time’, says activists in the statement.
It adds that ‘all the traditions and our cultures of South Sudan do not support rape. We condemned the report in strongest terms possible. We all need to also ensure that justice for rape victims and survivors is a reality throughout the country’.
The statement says it is the sole role and responsibility of the community to support the government to widely disseminate and sensitize the public on the applicable laws that regulate sexual and gender-based violence.
We know that we have failed South Sudanese children and it is time to take action.
The Network calls for joint work to ensure that women do not experience this sort of inhumane violence by reporting suspects and that South Sudan must do more to clamp down on rape cases.
The civil society network in its statement calls upon South Sudan government to strengthen ‘gender desks’ in the police units and the National Assembly ought to monitor the implementation of gender policy.
The state government should work closely with other relevant stakeholders to ensure support for survivors of sexual and gender based violence in the country, it appeals.