South Sudan President Salva Kiir ordered that soldiers who rape civilians should not be publicly executed before being taken to court, a spokesman for the presidency said.

The statement directly contradicts Kiir’s previous statement during a religious occasion in the town of Yei that soldiers who rape civilians be shot in the head and in public.

Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Sunday, Ateny Wek Ateny, South Sudan’s presidential spokesman, said members of the security forces who were convicted of rape would be taken to court for trial, saying the perpetrators would not be executed publicly.

Ateny claimed that President Kiir was referring to history of the SPLA army. “For now, the President said we cannot kill anyone before we take him to the court,” said Ateny.

“If any soldier found guilty of rape, he should be taken to court, so the court will determine the charge against him, whether military or civil courts,” he added.

Addressing a crowd of citizens in Yei town earlier this month, President Kiir ordered his defense minister and the army chief to publicly execute members of the armed forces if found of raping women.

"Those who are doing unlawful acts, raping women and girls, this is not the policy of the government. The body of a woman cannot be taken by force," Kiir said.

“I want the general chief of staff Gen. Paul Malong and the defense minister to report to me from now on if anything like this happens. In such a case, we will shoot the person who did it,”Kiir added.

Last week, SPLA soldiers were accused of raping women “on a large scale” after carrying out an attack on Kubi village along the Juba-Nimule road.

 Photo: President Kiir, left, accompanied by army chief of staff Paul Malong, right, waves during an independence day ceremony in Juba (Credit: VOA)