At a recent symposium on Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) in South Sudan’s Eastern Equatoria State, a chief at the Torit B Court revealed that intentional killings among the Otuho-speaking tribes are often compensated by offering a female child.
The event, organized by the Women Agency for Progress Organization (WAPO) and CARE International, highlighted the challenges faced by local communities and emphasized the need for legal reforms and greater inclusion of women in decision-making processes.
The chief made these remarks during a two-day symposium on Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) held in Torit. The event, themed “Building Collaborative Efforts with Stakeholders for Effective Implementation of the WPS Agenda in Eastern Equatoria State,” attracted over 70 participants, including women, chiefs, youth, parliamentarians, and state ministers.
Mathew Oduma Ofoto, a chief, stated that this inhuman act is not happening in towns but in villages, making the work of addressing this problem difficult for local chiefs.
The Otuho people inhabit the counties of Torit, Ikotos, and the Imehejek Administrative Area in Eastern Equatoria State, where this practice is prevalent in villages.
“This is very wrong. The child has not committed any crime; maybe a father or a brother killed someone, and the community demands to be compensated for their loss with a girl. This is an outdated practice that should not continue. We no longer have any laws supporting such actions. Compensation should be in the form of wealth, not people. However, among the Otuho, this practice persists, especially in Lobira, Ilieu, and Hiyala. It is compulsory to compensate for the killing by offering a girl as a replacement, as the law has not yet reached these areas, and our chiefs are really suffering,” Chief Oduma said.
Chief Oduma added, “I always advocate for the chiefs’ voices, but our communities often act without the chiefs’ authority. When someone is killed, they demand compensation in the form of a girl. This is common even in the Lopit mountains. Those who disagree should speak up. This practice is wrong. I know a girl compensated to another family won’t benefit either side. I witnessed a woman in Juba who was given as compensation and never had children. What a loss.”
Umjuma Philiph Atrun, a member of the Eastern Equatoria State Transitional National Legislative Assembly, confirmed that girl child compensation for intentional killings still persists. He believes alternative forms of compensation should be used.
“Instead of compensating with a person, marriage could be an alternative. However, this practice still happens, especially outside Torit town, although it is hidden within the town. We need the new generation to change this cultural practice. It should be addressed through marriage or brought to court. You never know how the girl’s life will be in the hands of her new family, as they might transfer their anger over their lost relative to the innocent child,” the legislator said.
She added, “I cannot give an exact number because the practice is ongoing. It happens frequently in Ikotos, Lopit, and Torit. People do these things without reporting to authorities because they know it is illegal. We blame our villagers, but chiefs face challenges like death threats from victims’ families, making it difficult to stop this practice.”
Christine Peter, a youth, rejected the practice of using girls like her as compensation for crimes committed by their relatives. She believes girls should only be held responsible for their own actions.
“As a child, being taken to compensate for someone else’s crime is wrong. I don’t know those people, and I haven’t lived with them. The life there will not be good. The suspect should be taken to court and jailed for their crime instead of punishing an innocent girl. A child has the right to live and go to school. She is not a loan to be repaid, nor an animal to be used and forgotten. Putting her in another family’s care while her parents are around is wrong; it will spoil her life,” Christine said.
Flora Sebit Jada, the Executive Director of Women Agency for Progress Organization (WAPO), stated that the symposium aims to promote change within communities, particularly by including women in decision-making processes.
“We need to see women participating in all community affairs. We also want to reduce issues affecting women, especially violence against women, and ensure the implementation of laws that prevent such violence. That is the purpose of this meeting,” Flora said.