Women continue to face violence amid peace
By Kiden Stela Mandela
The country has experienced some of the highest levels of sexual violence in the world. Even before the civil war officially ended in September 2018, women and girls had continued to experience high levels of Gender Based Violence (GBV) and had limited ways to address these crimes.
When the civil war fueled by ethnic divisions engulfed the country in 2013, violence against women and girls grew even more pronounced. From 2013 until the end of 2018, soldiers on both sides of the conflict used sexual violence and torture, especially of women and girls as part of their military strategies. The complete breakdown of the rule of law permitted armed men to operate with impunity throughout the conflict.
And such kind of issues are practiced by either sides especially what happened in 1013 crisis in Bor was really terrible where even in the church there was no mercy from the soldiers of either sides, women and young girls were going through a lot of suffering and so many hurting issues which is really not good for these country. In the 2016 conflict, in Jebel market area, many girls were rapped. In any violence in South Sudan weather political, Cattle riding or tribal violence it can’t miss out that women are left un touched just the recent cattle riding in Magwi women were the victims of violence, in Leer county of Unity state a 15 year old girl was used by a soldier.
In 2021 last year, there were 21 soldiers who were assembled in Billpam and were sentenced to prison, some for 7 years, 5 years and 4 years. That time the orders were very clear that they were removed from the Army to serve their terms and go home. It is a surprise that some of them are seen just around their villages even here in the town because the law is never implemented seriously in the country.
If you look at this country, most women and young girls are the ones suffering from severe trauma because of their health condition.
Although the political violence was abated when the most recent peace agreement was signed in September 2018, conflict-related to sexual violence (CRSV) has persisted. Armed men, some affiliated to various military groups, continue to attack women and girls who are traveling. Additionally, widespread displacement exacerbates other risks to the safety of women and girls, including intimate partner violence and underage pregnancy.
I appeal to the government and the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Gender, Child and Social Welfare to take gender violence seriously for the upcoming generations and the perpetrators must be accountable.
God Bless South Sudan.
Be right there!