By Tereza Jeremiah Chuei
Parties and signatory to the revitalized peace agreement on Wednesday exchanged views on Sexual Gender Based Violence (SGBV) report presented by ceasefire and transitional security arrangement monitoring and verification mechanism (CTSAMVM).
In the report, CTSAMVM said all warring parties have committed gender-based violence in the locations where they operate; but the parties argued that some reports assessment carried out by Non-Governmental Organization (NGOs) violence against women are not true, while others said one of the groups have committed gender-based violence.
However, all parties agreed that there are needs for more verifications on the report.
The argument came during CTSAMVM’s technical committee meeting which included members from Former Detainees (FDs), South Sudan opposition Alliance (SSOA), and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM -IO) and Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in gGovernment (SPLM-IG).
Speaking during the meeting, representative of FD, Major Gen. Bior Leek called on all females to be attentive so that they did not become victims of SGBV.
He stated that those who wished South Sudan to die will search for some soft ground, as he called on mothers, daughters and wives to remain watchful, because they are the ones being targeted.
He said that sometimes women are called to register their names on rape cases list; “So now why are there no rape cases in Jonglei, Warrap, Lake State, I am doubting this report, this is a report without names, how are we going to make justices, I want names,” the Maj. Gen. said.
He continued to urge the governor of Unity State to conduct investigation and also form committees to look into rape issues in his State.
However, representative of SSOA, Brigadier Gen. Samuel Chan has called on CTSAMVM to allow representatives of all parties to go down where reports of SGBV are being released for more clarifications.
“I am requesting CTSAMVM to allow the senior members that are the parties’ representative to go down where these issues happen and we can come and do it in good faith, because in this report the name of the victims is not written,” he said.
Brig. Gen. Chan said that NGOs have reported lest than 53 cases of rape, while government reported 53 cases, saying gender-based violence cases is the only thing needed but the names of the victims for authentication of the report.
Moreover, representative of SPLM-IO Major Gen. Chuol Ruey Kompuok cautioned against the raising cases of SGBV.
He said that the SGBV report should be made clear, “I also question the way SGBV is increasing instate of reducing, so serious look is needed into this but am not blaming any party”.