This archive report was first published on 3 July 2019.
July 3, 2019 - The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has reported a surge in violence in Central Equatoria, with hundreds of civilians killed or raped by warring factions since a peace deal was signed in September.
At least 104 people have been killed in attacks on villages in the southern region, while a similar number of women and girls have been raped or suffered other forms of sexual violence, according to the UNMISS's latest human rights report.
Many of the women and girls were taken captive by armed groups and forced into marriage, with some being raped and beaten by multiple fighters, the report said.
The violence has forced over 56,000 civilians to flee their homes, with another 20,000 crossing the border into Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The conflict in South Sudan began in 2013, when President Salva Kiir accused his former deputy Riek Machar of plotting a coup, leading to ethnic violence and brutal atrocities that have left about 380,000 dead and four million displaced.
