S. Sudan says UN approved FBI presence at trial of soldiers accused of rape

Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-08 22:18:49|Editor: xuxin
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JUBA, June 8 (Xinhua) -- A South Sudanese official said Thursday that the presence of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) during the ongoing trial of soldiers on rape charges was approved by the UN Security Council.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Mawien Makol told Xinhua in Juba that this was a joint effort of the UN Security Council, government and UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) to have the American intelligence services help with investigations of the case in which 12 soldiers face raping, looting and killing charges at the army General Court Martial (GCM).

The South Sudanese army (SPLA) came under intense scrutiny by the UN, U.S. after it emerged that a section of soldiers during the July 2016 clash gang raped aid workers mostly American citizens after having forcefully broken into the Terrain Hotel in Jebel suburb.

The GCM trial of the accused soldiers which started in May saw FBI attaché at the U.S. embassy in South Sudan attend the second hearing on June 6, which was later on adjourned until June 20 to allow the new army prosecutor time to study the case and also arrival of witnesses and victims from outside the war-torn country.

South Sudan descended into violence in December 2013 after political dispute between President Salva Kiir and his former deputy Riek Machar led to fighting that pitted mostly Dinka ethnic soldiers loyal to Kiir against Machar's Nuer ethnic group.

The 2015 peace agreement to end the violence was again violated in July 2016 when the rival factions resumed fighting in the capital forcing the rebel leader Machar to flee into exile.

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