Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
South Sudan Army Officers Receive UN-Led Rights Training
New York, Mar 1 2012 12:10PM
South Sudanese army
officers received training on human rights, democracy and
the rule of law, among other subjects, during a session led
by the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the country
(UNMISS).
The three-day training session aimed to boost the knowledge of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) on human rights in the military, and covered topics such as civil disorder, humanitarian law and implementation of human rights in armed conflicts, as well as sexual and gender-based violence and children’s rights.
UNMISS Human Rights Officer Mary Bindi said the training, which finished yesterday, sought to emphasize human rights with respect to the security code of conduct.
“Some of the officers lack basic knowledge on human rights in a way that has been witnessed in their actions and omissions,” she stated in a news release.
The training – conducted in Yambio, the capital of Western Equatoria state – was carried out in collaboration with UNMISS Yambio military observers and the state Human Rights Commission and Human Rights Forum of Civil Society Groups.
“When members of the military have enough awareness on the meaning and applications of human rights, they will promote and protect (them), as they are the main actors in human rights protection,” said Bashir Ahmed, Chairperson of the Human Rights Forum of Civil Society Groups.
Akuot Aiom Akuot, one of the 30 senior SPLA officers who took part in the training, said the sessions had increased his knowledge on the fundamental rights of citizens and prisoners of war.
“We learned many things, like how to protect the rights and safety of prisoners of war without killing them, during and after war,” Mr. Akuot said “We also learned how to protect civilians from any type of threat and the rights of children, and how to avoid recruiting them into the army.”
UNMISS stated the training will be carried out
among the military in all 10 states of the country.
Mar
1 2012 12:10PM
________________
For more details go to
UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
Follow us on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/UN.News.Centre) and Twitter (http://twitter.com/UN_News_Centre)
ENDS
PacREF: Papua New Guinea Announced As First Pacific Island Nation To Host The 2025 CPEM
Climate Action Network: Analysis - New COP29 Climate Finance Goal Text
Royal Commonwealth Society: The RCS Launches The Commonwealth Clean Oceans Plastics Campaign In Samoa During The CHOGM
East West Center: The Frozen Frontier - How The US And Its Indo-Pacific Allies Navigate Tensions And Opportunities In The Arctic
Laurel Sutherlin, IMI: COP16 - It’s Wild-West Capitalism Versus Life On Earth
UN News: ‘The Smell Of Death Is Everywhere’ In Northern Gaza, UNRWA Chief Says