12 South Sudanese soldiers that were charged over the horrific attack on foreign aid workers last year have pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Nine of the accused soldiers are charged with murder, rape and looting in the assault on the Terrain hotel compound in the capital, Juba, in July. The other three face charges including looting, trespassing and theft.
The accused include an army commander and several sergeants.
If convicted of rape, the soldiers could get jail sentences of up to 14 years. If convicted of murder however, they risk being sentenced to death.
The prosecution has submitted statements from 60 witnesses along with the death certificate for the local journalist who was shot dead and the medical records of people who said they were raped.
South Sudan has been dogged by war since December 2015 following President Salva Kiir’s allegations that his then-deputy Riek Machar was plotting a coup against his government. Machar denied the allegations but then went on to mobilize a rebel force to fight the government.
The war has killed thousands and forced millions to flee their homes.
