Africa-Press – South-Sudan. An official with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) says more than 6,000 people are reported missing in South Sudan.
This comes as South Sudan joins the rest of the world in marking the International Day of the Disappeared, with reports of thousands still unaccounted for in the country.
Every year on August 30, the world observes the International Day of the Disappeared, a day of remembrance, reflection, and solidarity. This year’s theme is “Missing, but not forgotten.”
The trend is linked to ongoing conflicts, widespread migration, and what the ICRC says is a growing disregard for international laws that govern armed conflict.
Speaking to Eye Radio, Delfine Bermijn, Deputy Coordinator for Family Link Protection at the ICRC, says around 6,000 people are still missing in South Sudan.
Some of them have already been reunited with their families.
“When discussing the numbers, the figure generally remains around 6,000. Each year, cases are resolved and individuals are located or identified. At the same time, new cases are opened annually. We need to be realistic and transparent about this ongoing situation. Currently, the number of cases remains approximately the same,” he said.
Hirman Sabet is one of the people searching for a missing family member. His stepson disappeared after being taken to Malakal for military operations in 2014.
“My stepbrother’s son, James Benjamin El Kima, went missing in Malakal on February 4th, 2014. He was taken from Juba for military operations because he is a soldier. I was able to communicate with him for only three days; on the fourth day, his phone became unreachable for reasons that are unclear. I have searched multiple locations but have been unable to determine his whereabouts,” he said.
Tabu Grace Laki, Protection Manager at South Sudan Red Cross, calls on parents to teach their children key personal information.
She says this can help reunite families in case of separation.
“You need to teach a child detail about you. Apart from calling you mama or baba, the child should know full details. In case of anything happening, then the child could be giving the right information,” she said.
Charles Placido Wani, the focal person at the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, says the ministry is working on a new policy.
He says the policy will help the government conduct more transparent and organized investigations into missing persons.
“Currently, we are still utilizing traditional methods to trace missing persons. For example, if a loved one goes missing, you can make announcements through the media, report the case to the police or criminal investigation department to assist in locating the individual whether they are alive or deceased so that their remains can be brought to the hospital.
“This remains an alternative approach for locating missing persons. However, at the moment, we are working on establishing a comprehensive document policy. Once this policy is approved, it will enable us to conduct open and systematic investigations into missing persons, allowing us to gather information more efficiently about whether they are alive or have passed away,” he said.
Globally, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement reports that around 284,000 people have gone missing over the past five years, an increase of nearly 70 percent.
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