VOA慢速英语听力：领导人及积极分子组织终止南苏丹性暴力活动[1]

any cases of rape are reported in the world’s newest country, South Sudan.

Government forces, unidentified armed groups, and rebel fighters are suspected of these crimes. Yet not one individual has been arrested or sentenced to prison for rape this year.

That information comes from the Voice of America (VOA) program South Sudan in Focus. South Sudan in Focus is a joint effort of VOA and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

On Wednesday, a top African Union (AU) official made an appeal to South Sudan’s government. Bineta Diop called on government officials to arrest and punish soldiers who sexually abused women during the three years of conflict in the country. She said punishing those responsible for sexual abuse against women will guarantee security and self-respect for South Sudanese women.

Diop is the AU’s Special Envoy for Women, Peace and Security. She met this week with South Sudan’s Minister of Gender, Child and Social Welfare, women activists and others in the city of Juba. They talked about how women’s rights can be protected in South Sudan, despite ongoing fighting.

Diop said the AU has launched a campaign aimed at reestablishing the dignity of women in South Sudan.

The chairperson of the AU Commission, Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, is directing the campaign. She is a former wife of Jacob Zuma, South Africa's president.

“It’s time for us to silence the guns in South Sudan,” Dlamini Zuma said. “It’s time for us to restore peace in this country,” but especially to bring back “the dignity of women in South Sudan.”

16-day campaign against sexual violence

Bineta Diop called on national, state, and local officials across South Sudan to enforce the law and arrest and punish criminals who violate women’s rights.She said that the African Union stands firmly with South Sudanese women who launched 16 days of activism against sexual violence. She said the AU wants women to have a say in finding英语听力