Radio Talk Show on ANISA -FM in Yambio

COMMEMORATING INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR THE ELIMINATION OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE IN CONFLICT (19 JUNE 2023)

The International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict (IDEVSC) is observed every year on June 19 to raise awareness about sexual violence in conflict. It serves as an opportunity to strategize to end these crimes worldwide. Conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) refers to incidents or patterns of sexual violence against women, men, girls or boys occurring in a conflict or post-conflict setting that have direct or indirect links with the conflict itself.

On June 19, 2015, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict, thus commemorating the adoption of Security Council Resolution 1820. This Resolution condemns sexual violence as a tactic of war and an impediment to peacebuilding. CRSV is pervasive in South Sudan, linked to cycles of post-independence conflicts. Western Equatoria figures among the states having witnessed high levels of CRSV in recent and past conflicts. 

According to a joint report launched 1^st of March 2022 by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and the UN Human Rights Office, it states that, “Between June and September 2021, at least 440 civilians were killed, 18 injured, and 74 abducted during clashes between warring groups in Tambura. At least 64 civilians were subjected to conflict-related sexual violence, among them a 13-year-old girl who was gang-raped to death”.

Earlier, in 2018, UNMISS and the Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights (OHCHR) jointly released a report, “Violations and Abuses Against Civilians in the defunct Gbudue and Tambura States (Western Equatoria), April—August 2018.” This report documented the abduction and captivity of 568 women and girls. These survivors and many others in South Sudan were subjected to harsh treatment, requiring support to recover from CRSV.

Some CRSV survivors in Western Equatoria benefitted from European Union funding made available through UNMISS – Women’s Protection Advisory Unit, UNDP and RDAA. 195 beneficiaries out of the 632 (568 previous and 64 recent from Tambura crisis) survivors documented received comprehensive support which included the provision of psychosocial accompaniment, livelihood packages and business skills, guided by the survivor centered approach. While appreciating the support provided to these 195 beneficiaries in Western Equatoria, RDAA notes that over 434 survivors, as well as their children born during captivity, still need assistance to recover from their experience as the organization continues to advocate for peace in South Sudan.

CRSV is a crime infringing on fundamental human rights, namely equality, dignity and the right not to be subjected to bodily harm. While survivors require support to overcome their experience, impunity for CRSV perpetrators should not prevail. 

Pictures above and below were taken during the radio talk show in which the above were presented.