At least 125 women have been raped by unknown gunmen during a 10-day spree of violence in South Sudan, the Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) aid charity has said.

The African nation has suffered five years of brutal civil war and, despite a fragile peace accord signed two months ago by the government and rebel groups, remains split with ethnic grievances and awash with weapons.

Civilians from rival groups often bear the brunt of the violence and cycle of revenge.

As well as rape, survivors of the violence in the the Northern Liech State's town of Bentiu, also reported being whipped, beaten and clubbed with sticks and rifle butts, MSF said in a statement.

It added that they were also robbed of money, clothes, shoes and food ration cards.

“Some [of those raped] are girls under 10 years old and others are women older than 65. Even pregnant women have not been spared from these brutal attacks,” said MSF midwife Ruth Okello.

However, the Northern Liech State's minister for information disputed the veracity of the reports.

In photos: South Sudan ghost town Show all 20 1 / 20 In photos: South Sudan ghost town In photos: South Sudan ghost town An abandoned fuel depot in the town of Malakal Reuters In photos: South Sudan ghost town South Sudanese girls walk in the town of Malakal Reuters In photos: South Sudan ghost town Internally displaced people play football in the Protection of Civilians Camp, run by the UN Mission Reuters In photos: South Sudan ghost town A Quran inside an abandoned mosque Reuters In photos: South Sudan ghost town A man waits at a medical clinic in the village of Wau Shilluk Reuters In photos: South Sudan ghost town A man carries sacks of food aid Reuters In photos: South Sudan ghost town Indian army peacekeepers with UNMISS (UN Mission in South Sudan) look inside a health clinic destroyed by fighting in the village of Wau Shilluk Reuters In photos: South Sudan ghost town Internally displaced people stand on roofs of the camp Reuters In photos: South Sudan ghost town Bullet holes in an abandoned fuel depot sign Reuters In photos: South Sudan ghost town People are treated at a health clinic Reuters In photos: South Sudan ghost town A man sitting in a sewing stall Reuters In photos: South Sudan ghost town A man fishes on the white Nile Reuters In photos: South Sudan ghost town A plant growing on the window of a health clinic destroyed by fighting Reuters In photos: South Sudan ghost town An abandoned gas station Reuters In photos: South Sudan ghost town Simon Pakuang, 63, who fled his village as the civil war in 2015 flared up, posing for a portrait Reuters In photos: South Sudan ghost town A destroyed structure Reuters In photos: South Sudan ghost town A man walks in the POC (Protection of Civilians) Camp, run by the UN Mission in South Sudan near the town of Malakal, in the Upper Nile state of South Sudan, September 9, 2018. REUTERS/Baz Ratner SEARCH "MALAKAL BAZ" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES. BAZ RATNER Reuters In photos: South Sudan ghost town Bullet holes in a sign welcoming people to Malakal City Council Reuters In photos: South Sudan ghost town Desks at an abandoned school Reuters In photos: South Sudan ghost town A Bangladeshi Navy peacekeeper from UNMISS (UN Mission in South Sudan) looks at a World Food Program barge while patrolling on the white Nile Reuters

“A rape of such a magnitude is not true,” Lam Tungwar said. “We are a state [that] respects human rights and women’s rights top our list.”

Mr Tungwar said local courts would tackle the cases of violence in Bentiu and other counties, but added: “I don’t concur with the current report because it doesn’t portray us and the community in Northern Liech state.”

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South Sudan’s president, Salva Kiir, signed a peace agreement with rebel factions in September to end the country’s civil war, which erupted in 2013 and has killed around 400,000 people and forced a third of the population from their homes.

Previous peace deals have quickly fallen apart.