Police, army asked to champion eradication of GBV
The Director of the Special Protection Unit and Deputy Spokesperson for the South Sudan National Police Service, Brig. James Carlo Dak, has urged organised forces to take the lead in ending gender-based violence in the country. He was addressing reporters at the ministry complex on Friday.
“We should be the first ones to implement the resolution 1325 and the action plan because we did our action plan, the army did, the police did, and we have to comply with this action plan,” Brig. Carlo told the police and army, who are frequently accused of perpetrating gender-based violence.
“We have to show respect, competence, and harmony between us and our citizens,” Brig. Carlo urged.
He stated that the government has tightened accountability for the perpetrators of sexual gender-based violence, with some officers in the organised forces who were persecuted and even dismissed from their duties.
“The juvenile court has no mercy. Criminal justice and the military are doing their best, and we are guided by professional standards. So whoever is apprehended and proven beyond reasonable doubt [to have committed a crime], must have to go behind bars. There is no excuse and I think they know that, “he stressed.
According to the director, all of the special protection units around the country documented 350 cases of sexual gender-based violence last year, of which only 7 persons have been punished so far, and the others who are under the age of 18 are in a reformatory. This is due to what he calls the “rule of silence,” which is bolstered by cultural taboos.
He said there are 16 units of gender-based violence in each of South Sudan’s 10 states, with the exception of three administrative districts and six institutions in Juba. Females are allocated to all units, and they deal with issues such as gender, gang rape, intimidation, and abuse.
The units in Juba are: Gudele Police division, Munuki Police, Mauna, Malakia, which is the central police division; Juba police SPU desk, which is attached to the prison; Lologo police SPU desk, as well as Gumbo police division.
The special protection unit deals with issues of gender-based violence, conflict-related gender-based violence and domestic violence. This unit was established in 2014 when President Salva Kiir signed a communiqué with the United Nations representative on gender affairs, who was sent by the UN secretary-general.
The communiqué stated that the perpetrators who are committing cases related to gender-based violence, conflict-related to gender-based violence, and domestic violence are the uniform forces, and they narrated that the South Sudan defence forces are the number one perpetrators. Others who were mentioned were the national police service, forces of Riek Machar, the SPLM/A-IO, LRA forces of Joseph Konyi, Darfur forces, and other allies who have also taken up arms against the government.
However, the maximum sentence for gender-based violence is 14 years, and there is no bail.
