By Ijoo Bosco
Fifty South Sudanese People’s Defense Force (SSPDF) military officers from Brigade 3 are attending a two-day capacity-building training workshop on child protection in Torit town, Eastern Equatoria State.
The training is being organized by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) Child Protection Department to enhance the protection of children against grave violations, including the recruitment into armed forces.
Priscilla Og’ayo, a UNMISS Child Protection Officer, stated that the training is specifically targeting SSPDF military officers to remind them about the action plan signed by the government with the UN to protect children in armed conflict.
“It is a capacity-building workshop on child protection to remind the participants about the actual plan that was signed by the government of the Republic of South Sudan with the UN, specifically to protect children in armed conflict,” Og’ayo said.
She noted that during the two-day workshop, which commenced yesterday, the participants will discuss the six grave violations of children’s rights, listing, and delisting of bad practices.
The training also aims to identify the roles and responsibilities of the participants in protecting children and the progress made in implementing the comprehensive action plan.
“The training is expected to enhance the protection of children against grave violations, which include the recruitment of children into armed forces or armed groups, sexual violence against children, abduction of children, and the occupation of schools and hospitals by armed forces,” Og’ayo said.
She added that the government and UNMISS have signed a comprehensive action plan to deter the claims against armed forces and hold them accountable for their actions.
The training is part of UNMISS’s ongoing efforts to support the South Sudanese government in protecting children’s rights and ensuring that the country is removed from the list of shame for grave violations against children.