UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations and its partners are supporting 128 newly-released women and children who were abducted in South Sudan in 2018, a UN spokesman said Tuesday.
The 78 women and 50 children, who were held for many months in military bases located in South Sudan's Western Equatoria region, have been referred to medical and psycho-social support structures, said Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
Several of the women identified as pregnant have been referred to prenatal healthcare facilities, Dujarric said, citing a report from Pramila Patten, the secretary-general's special representative on sexual violence in conflict.
The victims were among more than 500 abducted between April and August, 2018, and were held by Sudan People's Liberation Army in Opposition that supported ex-rebel leader Riek Machar, Patten said.
The release of the women and children followed many months of sustained advocacy and engagement by her office and the UN Mission in South Sudan with Machar and his local commanders.
"The office of the special representative will build on this positive momentum to advocate for the release of the remaining women and children who continue to be held by armed opposition forces across Western Equatoria and will sustain calls for accountability for sexual violence crimes in order to prevent and deter future violations," she said.
Machar, also a former vice president of South Sudan, agreed in December with President Salva Kiir to form a transitional unity government while a cease-fire continues to end a long-running civil war.
