A human rights watchdog has accused the army and the police forces of shooting and raping civilians in Jonglei state during the disarmament campaign.
Amnesty International said in its report published on Wednesday that South Sudan should take immediate action to end human rights violations including torture, shootings and sexual violence by security forces in Jonglei State.
Amnesty International’s Africa Director, Audrey Gaughran, said authorities have admitted that individuals are guilty of these violations but denied that it was the behaviour of the SPLA as a whole.
He said the SPLA and the police auxiliary forces have committed shocking human rights violations and the authorities are doing very little to stop the abuses.
Mr Gaughran said security forces committing these horrific acts of violence have to be fully held to account.
He added that Amnesty International called upon UNMISS, the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, to step up efforts to protect civilians, by deploying peacekeepers in areas where there is significant potential for violations by the SPLA.