Jame Kolok. File Photo/ Okot Emmanuel/Eye Radio.

A human rights defender has called on the unity government to punish soldiers accused of raping 19 women in Yei.

Earlier this week, a lawmaker representing Yei River County at the national legislature alleged that 19 women were raped by soldiers between March and April this year.

But the SSPDF said on Tuesday it had not received reports of gang-rape of women in Yei River by men in uniform as alleged by the lawmaker.

Speaking to Eye Radio on Wednesday, the Executive Director of Foundation for Development and Accountable Governance-Jame Kolok says such incidents continue to happen because of reluctance by the unity government to implement a chapter in agreement that provides for legal accountability.

Chapter Five of the 2018 peace deal mandates the unity government to initiate legislation for the establishment of an independent hybrid judicial body, to try suspects of crimes committed during the civil war.

However, according to the human rights defender, the government seems unwilling to set up the Hybrid Court for South Sudan.

Kolok called on the government to investigate the occurrences and arraign before the court the suspects.

“What are we talking about if you are saying let us pursue peace, why are we still seeing these rape cases happening at a time when peace is supposed to prevail?” Kolok wondered. “That clearly tells you even if you talk about peace, those fundamental characters that come in to perpetrate human rights violations still continue to exist.”

Last year, the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission stated that Sexual and gender-based violence including rape, abductions, and conscription of child soldiers in South Sudan increased in the past years.

In the defunct Yei River state, a women’s group leader stated last year that nearly 40 cases of rape have been registered in four counties of the State.

“Are we going to say for example those women who were raped in Yei, are we going to ignore their rape because we are persuading peace? that is reckless. Something has to happen, if what the MP says is correct, these people have to be brought to book,” Kolok demanded.

In its recent 917^th meeting, the Africa Union Peace and Security Council Reiterated its request for the AU Commission to urgently finalize all necessary instruments for the operationalization of the Hybrid Court for South Sudan and to submit, within two months from the adoption of this communique.