Juba, May 11 (IANS): Cases of conflict-related sexual violence more than doubled in South Sudan this year compared to the same period in 2021 despite an overall decrease in violence against civilians, a UN agency said.

In a report, the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) said it documented 63 cases of conflict-related sexual violence between January to March, up from 28 when compared to the same time last year.

Overall, 173 incidents impacted a total of 754 civilian victims, reflecting a 32 per cent decrease of incidents and roughly the same number of civilian victims, compared to the same quarter in 2021.

According to UNMISS, civil defense groups and militias accounted for the majority of violence against civilians (64 per cent), followed by conventional parties to the conflict (34 per cent).

The majority of violence was associated with inter- or intra-communal forms of conflict, particularly in Jonglei, Eastern Equatoria, and Warrap states.

Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Nicholas Haysom, has indicated that UNMISS will step up its efforts on tackling conflict-related sexual violence, "which continues to be one of the most traumatic features of the conflict in South Sudan.

"With violence surging in several parts of the country, UNMISS urges the government of South Sudan to investigate human rights violations and abuses and to hold all perpetrators to account," the report said.