Summary:
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Respect for human rights is important for this young country as it moves toward becoming a real democracy.
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During a two-day course on human rights in Bor, which was put on by the UN Peacekeeping mission, 60 top military commanders vowed to work for human rights.
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Said, “I am bringing this to the commanders’ attention so that they can make sure the rights of women and girls are protected consistently.
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“Much more work needs to be done to guarantee the abolition of human rights breaches throughout South Sudan.
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But these little actions and responses go a long way toward bringing about the desired change.
South Sudan is finally making progress as it recovers from the damage of its civil war. All parties have agreed on a plan to meet the remaining goals in the Revitalized Peace Agreement, and the first class of the Necessary Unified Forces has graduated.
Respect for human rights is important for this young country as it moves toward becoming a real democracy.
As one of South Sudan’s most important peace partners, the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has always worked with all sides to show how important it is to protect human rights.
During a two-day course on human rights in Bor, which was put on by the UN Peacekeeping mission, 60 top military commanders vowed to work for human rights.
“Now that we have a clear knowledge of individual and command obligations, we can hold those who violate human rights accountable.” Brigadier-General William Abiel, a senior military officer representing two military commands, said, “We will now become ambassadors of human rights and the rights of vulnerable people.”
He went on to say, “All of us in this session are in high-level positions, and we promise to share what we’ve learned with the forces we lead so that we can recognize, document, and stop human rights violations.”
The Brigadier General also said that the graduation of the unified forces is the start of a new stage for the military. He urged the troops to get the right training so that they can be a proud standing army that meets international standards and protects the country from outside enemies.
He said, “We need thorough training so that the people of our country can have faith that we are here to protect them.”
The main goals of the training sessions were to improve the skills, knowledge, and abilities of the South Sudan Peoples Defense Forces (SSPDF) members based in Bor.
In response to a request from local military leaders, the UNMISS Human Rights Division set up the training to help military staff learn more about how to respect, protect, and promote human rights during armed conflict.
Geetha Pious, who is in charge of the UNMISS Field Office in Jonglei and the Greater Pibor Administrative Area, warned the commanders about bad traditions that have been around for a long time and might be violations of human rights.
She claimed that even traditional customs like early or forced marriages might violate human rights.
She said, “I am bringing this to the commanders’ attention so that they can make sure the rights of women and girls are protected consistently.”
Much more work needs to be done to guarantee the abolition of human rights breaches throughout South Sudan. But these little actions and responses go a long way toward bringing about the desired change.
APO Group sent this out on behalf of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
APO has issued this press release. The editorial team at AUN News doesn’t keep an eye on the content, and none of it has been checked or confirmed by our editors, proofreaders, or fact-checkers. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Analysis by: Advocacy Unified Network
