President says soldiers who rape should be shot

The president of South Sudan said on Monday that soldiers who rape civilians should be shot, trying to mollify citizens outraged by abuses by security forces and quell growing international anger over attacks. The reports of sexual violence, committed with impunity, raised tensions between the South Sudanese government and Western donors, who bankroll most of […]

The president of South Sudan said on Monday that soldiers who rape civilians should be shot, trying to mollify citizens outraged by abuses by security forces and quell growing international anger over attacks.
The reports of sexual violence, committed with impunity, raised tensions between the South Sudanese government and Western donors, who bankroll most of the country’s health and education needs and largely fund a 15,000-strong U.N. peacekeeping force that costs around $1 billion dollars a year. “Those who are doing unlawful acts, raping women and girls, this is not the policy of the government … the body of a woman cannot be taken by force,” Kiir said in a speech given during a visit to the town of Yei.
“I want the general chief of staff General Paul Malong and the defense minister to report to me from now on if anything like this (rape) happens. In such a case, we will shoot the person who did it,” Kiir said.