The Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Zainab HawaBangura, today commended senior officers from the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Sudan People’s Liberation Army (In Opposition), for signing explicit undertakings to prevent conflict-related sexual violence.
Fifty-four Commanders made the commitment in Pagak, South Sudan, on 31 October, including Lieutenant General John Buth Teny, one of the highest ranking SPLA-IO Commanders,as well asthree Major Generals, six Brigadier Generals, 13 Colonels, 10 Lt. Colonels and 20 Majors. The undertakings, which are a central element of an action plan of SPLA-IO to combat sexual violence, focus on accountability, timely and rigorous investigations, cooperation with military justice authorities, and protection of victims and witnesses, judicial actors, humanitarians and service providers.
“These undertakings mean that each senior officer takes individual responsibility as well as command responsibility for his troops, and publicly declares that he will hold each soldier accountable for sexual violence crimes,” said Special Representative Bangura. “This is an encouraging step towards the protection of women, children and men of South Sudan from such crimes.”
The signing took place at the SPLA-IObase of operations in South Sudan,following a workshop related to prevention and response to conflict-related sexual violence organized by the Office of the Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, together with the Senior Women Protection Adviser from the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).The Commanders undertakingsreinforcethecommitment expressed by Dr. Riek Machar, Chairman of SPLA/SPLM (In Opposition), in aCommunique on preventing conflict-relatedsexualviolence in South Sudan, issued on 18 December 2014.
The engagement with SPLA/SPLM-IO is undertaken in the framework of Security Council resolution 2016 (2011) on sexual violence in conflict. The Special Representative is also engaging in a similar process with the Government of South Sudan, on the basis of aJoint Communique on conflict-related sexual violence between the Government and the United Nations, signed by President Salva Kiir on 11 October 2014.
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