Content_paragraphs:  Some progress was noted on specific human rights issues. In particular, political
  
  and military actors in the country have issued statements condemning conflict -related
  
  sexual violence. In 2014, the Government signed a joint communiqué with the Unite d
  
  Nations on its prevention and, in 2019, developed action plans for addressing it in the
  
  military and police forces. The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement /Army in
  
  Opposition also developed a workplan to address it and has worked with UNMISS to
  
  train military personnel within its ranks on conflict-related sexual violence. The topic
  
  has also been considered in the development of training materials for unified forces.
  
  In September 2020, 13 soldiers of the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces were
  
  convicted of rape by a court martial in Yei. This progress demonstrates that there is
  
  some political will to begin to address conflict-related sexual violence. However,
  
  conflict-related sexual violence and sexual and gender-based violence continue to be
  
  committed by a variety of armed actors in South Sudan, across geographic locations,
  
  largely with impunity, in the context of political conflict, intercommunal violence and
  
  criminal activity. The review team also noted with concern that, despite their stated
  
  commitment to reducing conflict-related sexual violence, some South Sudanese
  
  authorities either entirely denied the occurrence of those violations or minimized their
  
  severity.