South Sudan recalls US-based diplomat over alleged rape

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South Sudan's foreign ministry says it recalled a US-based diplomat after "an alleged rape incident" in New York, suspending the official until an ongoing investigation is complete .

“It is with regret that our diplomat has been involved in an incident of alleged rape with… (a) New York resident,” the department said in a statement posted on the government's official Twitter page on Thursday.< /p>

“The diplomat in question has now returned to South Sudan and has been suspended from duty, pending the outcome of this investigation,” the statement read.

“Sexual misconduct in any form is heinous and completely unacceptable,” he said, adding that “a specialized committee” was looking into the matter.

The statement did not elaborate on the allegations, but US media said the diplomat was accused of forcing his way into the victim's Manhattan apartment and raping her on Sunday.

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Police initially took him into custody before releasing him hours later after he claimed diplomatic immunity.

The US State Department said Wednesday it was "aware of the incident...involving a diplomat accredited to the UN".

"We take these allegations very seriously and are working closely with the New York City Police Department and the Mayor's Office of International Affairs," State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said, without saying. give more details.

In March, the UN accused members of the South Sudanese government of committing human rights violations "amounting to war crimes" in the country's southwest, calling for investigations into dozens of individuals, in particular for sexual violence and child abuse.

The world's youngest nation has suffered from chronic instability since gaining independence in 2011, with the UN repeatedly criticizing South Sudan's leaders for their role in stoking violence, clamping down on political freedoms and the looting of public coffers.