Africa-Press – South-Sudan. A general court martial in Wau, Western Bahr el Ghazal state, has convicted nine SSPDF soldiers, handing various sentences including stripping of ranks and dismissal from the service on Saturday.
Jokeir Kamal Machut, South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) Legal Counsel, told Eye Radio two soldiers were sentenced to 7 and 10 years for rape crimes, respectively.
He said in another conviction, a civilian was given a 2-year sentence for killing two soldiers. He will also pay blood compensation.
“There have been two cases of rape involved number of soldiers who rapped civilians and they have been convicted to 7 years and 10 years and civil compensation to the relatives of the victims and after all these those soldiers have been stripped from their ranks and dismissed from the service, and they will be sent to the civil prison to finish they terms there,” he said.
Machut, who is the legal Counsel of the SSPDF’s Division 5 based in Wau, said the convictions are a step towards accountability within the military.
The tribunal, deployed by the SSPDF’s Military Justice Directorate with support from UNMISS, heard over 20 cases involving murder, Sexual Gender-based Violence and misconduct.
He said several other soldiers were given shorter sentences for crimes including the sale of guns.
“This court try to look at the all the available cases, like these cases of rape and murder and the other cases of selling guns, and there also a case in Jur river, also the court look at it and did its conviction,” he said.
Machut said the rulings will serve as a lesson to members of the armed forces who abuse their power and use their weapons to cause harm to civilians and colleagues.
He said the national army will continue to promote accountability and restore public trust in the armed forces.
He encouraged civilians to come forward and report crimes committed by the military without fear, assuring of them of protection and emphasised that the national army will not tolerate impunity under any circumstances.
The SSPDF has been prosecuting its members accused of crimes against civilians in various parts of the country.
In 2020, the military court martial, supported by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) sentenced 24 solders accused of various crimes against civilians in Yei River County.
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