Alex Bullen
Africa-Press – South-Sudan. South Sudanese army commanders have reaffirmed their commitment to putting an end to human rights violations in the country.
They made the promise during a just-completed two-day human rights workshop in Jonglei State’s Bor town which was organised by the UN Peacekeeping Mission.
The workshop was attended by over 60 of South Sudan’s senior military commanders.
Brig. Gen. William Abiel, a senior military officer who spoke on behalf of the military leadership during the closing ceremony, underlined the army’s willingness to see that human rights abuses are eradicated throughout South Sudan.
According to the UNMISS, Gen. Abiel declared that the army’s leadership would battle against those who violated human rights and would always hold those responsible for the crimes accountable.
“We now have a clear understanding of command and individual responsibilities and how to hold perpetrators of human rights violations accountable,” Gen. Abiel stated.
He reaffirmed that his army was prepared to serve as ambassadors for vulnerable people and human rights.
“All of us participating in this workshop hold leadership positions, and we commit to trickling down the knowledge we have gained to forces under our command so that we are able to identify, report on, and prevent violations of human rights,” he added.
The army general added that the graduation of the unified troops marks the beginning of a new stage in the military.
For the soldiers to be completely capable of being a proud standing army that meets international standards and is in charge of protecting the country from external foes, he demanded that they receive proper training.
“We need comprehensive training so that the people of our country have confidence that we are here to protect them.”
Geetha Pious, the head of the UNMISS Field office in Jonglei and the Greater Pibor Administrative Area, warned the commanders in attendance about long-standing bad customs that could amount to human rights abuses.
“Even customary practices such as early or forced marriages can amount to human rights violations,” she said.
“I am bringing this to the attention of the commanders so that they can ensure the rights of women and girls are upheld consistently,” she added.
The training sessions’ primary goals are to increase the capability of the South Sudan Peoples Defense Forces (SSPDF) members stationed in Bor and to raise their level of awareness, skill development, and knowledge.
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