A senior United Nations official on Thursday called on South Sudan to establish a comprehensive legislative framework to address the issue of conflict-related sexual violence. The call for action encompassed various aspects, from ensuring the protection of victims and witnesses to facilitating access to justice for those affected by these heinous crimes.
Pramila Patten, the Undersecretary General and Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict made this critical plea following her meeting with the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs in Juba.
Patten stated, “The importance of having a comprehensive legislative framework to address conflict-related sexual violence, from victim and witness protection to addressing the plight of children born of rape, to providing reparations for victims, including children born of rape, as well as comprehensive definitions covering different forms of conflict-related sexual violence ranging from rape to gang rape, sexual slavery, abduction, trafficking, but also ensuring that all victims of sexual violence have access to justice.”
Furthermore, Patten affirmed the United Nations’ readiness to assist South Sudan in reforming its legislation to protect victims of sexual violence, referencing an agreement signed between the country and the UN in 2014. She pledged her full support, stating, “I have conveyed to the minister, as we commemorate the 10th anniversary of that agreement, that we must expedite the legislative reform process. I have extended the full support of the United Nations and my office, including my team of experts on the rule of law reform efforts needed by the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs.”
Patten recounted her meeting with victims of sexual violence and their children in Yambio, located in South Sudan’s Western Equatoria State, which took place the previous year. She emphasized that a Security Council resolution had recognized the dire situation faced by these children and their mothers.
The rights of children born as a result of rape are intricately linked to their mothers’ rights, including the right to nationality, a name, and religion, under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.
Gabriel Isaac Awow, the Undersecretary for the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, acknowledged that South Sudan, as a post-conflict country, continues to grapple with incidents of sexual violence. He underscored the government’s commitment to prevent and eliminate such crimes.
Awow stressed the importance of harmonizing and domesticating the country’s laws to align with international and regional standards, enabling South Sudan to effectively combat these heinous crimes. He added, “The process of domesticating the laws will commence with the development of a permanent constitution, for which the Ministry of Justice has already drafted legislation that has been enacted into law.”