16 people in South Sudan have been accused of taking part in the July rampage that targeted Americans at a Juba hotel popular with foreigners, the government announce on Wednesday.
Eight of those have been accused of rape while the other eight have been accused of looting.
The announcement came just one day after the United Nations sacked the head of the UN peacekeeping mission in the country, saying that the UN peacekeepers nearby did not respond to calls for help during the attack.
South Sudan’s deputy justice minister, Martison Oturomoi, told reporters that soldiers “exploited the war to do their own criminal acts.” He cited soldiers raping women and killing the journalist, John Gatluak, based on his ethnicity.
The minister also said one woman was raped by 15 men during the attack but that it was “difficult for any person other than the victim to identify the offender.”
South Sudan has been ravaged by civil war that broke out in December 2013.
A peace deal was signed last year between the rivals, but the situation remains dire as fighting still breaks out frequently.
