South Sudanese women activists on Monday petitioned President Salva Kiir to immediately dismiss the national minister of humanitarian affairs, Peter Mayen Majondit, for repeated domestic violence against his wife who the minister recently allegedly beat up and stabbed.
On Wednesday last week, the family of the humanitarian minister’s wife confirmed that their daughter, Aluel Garang, popularly known as Aluel Messi, a renowned football star, was battered and stabbed by her husband in what they described as a case of domestic violence. News and social media were last week awash with images of Aluel with a swollen face and a wound on one of her hands.
The representative of the activists, Jackeline Nasiwa, read a petition and said they were surprised that a senior government official was involved in repeated acts of domestic violence with impunity and that the government was doing nothing about it.
“We regret Peter Mayen Majongdit, a signatory of the R-ARCSS (Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan), a senior government official and minister of humanitarian affairs and disaster management, violated the right of his wife, and by extension, normalizing domestic and sexual violence against women and girls in South Sudan,” Nasiwa said. “Regretting the inaction of the R-TGONU in ending impunity and holding perpetrators of sexual and gender-based violence against vulnerable women, girls and boys including Mrs. Aluel Messi.”
She said they were surprised by the total silence and lack of accountability by the R-TGONU leadership towards the actions of Hon. Peter Mayen Majongdit.
An activist, Riya Williams, said that they are calling for the dismissal of the embattled minister for his failure to manage his family affairs.
"So, this call is going to be a driver for justice for women. As women, we are saying enough is enough. We are tired of domestic violence, we are tired of sexual gender-based violence. Peace means protection of women,” Williams said. “We want Peter Mayen to be dismissed as the minister of humanitarian affairs and disaster management. If he can’t manage his family and resorts to violence, then he is not suitable for leadership.”
The First Deputy Speaker of the Revitalized Transitional National Legislative Assembly, Oyet Nathaniel, said there is a criminal dimension to the actions of Minister Mayen.
“From what I heard from your petition, there is a criminal dimension associated with assault and torture, violations to our Bill of rights,” Deputy Speaker Oyet noted.
Another Member of Parliament, Yar Deng, described the case of Mayen as unfortunate and said she looks forward to parliament enacting laws to protect women because their rights have been abused for so long.
“Women's rights have been abused for so long and I look forward to what parliament is going to do about it. Unfortunately, someone of his caliber would do that to a woman. So I am looking forward to our5 laws being tabled to protect women and also the other gender against gender-based violence.
Earlier in April, Minister Mayen was accused of storming a football game in Aweil, Northern Bahr el Ghazal State, and demanding that his wife who was playing be withdrawn from the game. Gunshots later rang out in the commotion and Mayen was said to have discharged his pistol in the air, allegations he later denied.