S/2017/249 four Sudan People’s Liberation Army soldiers, who attacked her at night while she was returning to camp. Other allegations of sexual violence against internally displaced women by Sudan People’s Liberation Army soldiers were recorded during hostilities in Central Equatoria. Women were sexually harassed and enslaved, with some reportedly held for over four months, during which time they witnessed the killing of other sexually enslaved women. In a challenging operational environment, UNMISS has enhanced early-warning systems, facilitated the supply of food and fuel, patrolled high-risk areas, established weapons-free zones around camps, and negotiated the replacement of soldiers at checkpoints with police officers, which has reduced the frequency of sexual assault. The United Nations has also made efforts to ensure that rape kits are stocked and medical personnel are trained on the clinical management of rape. My Special Representative and her Team of Experts have engaged with the parties to reinforce individual and command responsibility for preventing and punishing sexual violence and to develop an implementation plan focused on accountability and the protection of victims, witnesses and service providers. Despite commitments made by both parties, sexual viole nce has increased in severity and scale. Successive ceasefire agreements since 2014 have failed to curb the behaviour of combatants, and sexual violence continues to deepen insecurity, delaying peace and reconciliation. Recommendation 63. I urge parties to the conflict in South Sudan to implement the commitments made in their respective communiqués to end conflict-related sexual violence, to ensure the effective functioning of special protection units on sexual and gender based violence in the police, to hold perpetrators to account and to respect the sanctity of protection of civilians sites. Sudan (Darfur) 64. Patterns of widespread and systematic sexual violence have devastated the lives and livelihoods of women and girls in Darfur over the past 13 years, and the perpetrators continue to operate in a climate of impunity. As a consequence, the threat and terror of sexual violence continues to cast a shadow over everyday life, restricting women’s freedom of movement. As in previous years, most atta cks took place when women ventured to isolated areas to farm or collect firewood. While the active conflict is now primarily focused in the Jebel Marra area, localized intercommunal violence, militia activity and banditry have continued in the five states of Darfur. Sexual and gender-based violence remains a serious concern, in particular for vulnerable populations at camps for internally displaced persons. 65. In 2016, the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) documented 100 incidents of conflict-related sexual violence, affecting 222 victims, specifically 102 women, 119 girls and one boy. As in previous years, more than half the victims were children. The incidents included rape, gang rape, attempted rape, abduction for the purpose of sexual assault and sexual harassment. Ten per cent of these cases occurred during displacement. In 15 per cent of cases, the victims numbered two or more, as women and girls have tried to improve their safety by travelling in groups, although this seems to provide minimal deterrence with regard to armed men. The incidents occurred primarily in North Darfur, Sortony, Tawilla, and Shangil Tobayi, coinciding with the presence of armed militia. 17-05090 19/33