JONGLEI – “Some conversations are a reminder that there is a human being behind every military uniform.”
One of 60 members of the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) that joined a sensitization session facilitated by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, Apul Malual Aguin confirmed her commitment to make the protection of civilians her priority:
“Whatever a soldier does on the frontline always has to also safeguard the rights of non-combatants to prevent unnecessary civilian suffering.”
The engagement comes in the wake of violence in Jonglei State, where armed clashes have fueled widespread civilian displacement, destruction of property, conflict-related sexual violence, and the abduction of women and children.
For Aguin, the sessions focusing on international humanitarian law, civilian protection and human rights standards, underscored the immediate responsibility soldiers carry during operations.
“There is some information we have as soldiers that we simply cannot ignore if we want to protect women, children and critical infrastructure like schools, health facilities and churches,” the mother of six noted, adding that:
“Using the information given to us to assess frontline risks, such as those posed by how soldiers might act under the influence of alcohol, it becomes our duty to remain watchful and alert for threats in and outside our ranks. If we hold ourselves responsible, civilians will also respect us more as they will know that our aim is to function as their shield.”
The latter was a key focus of the discussions – how to foster institutional accountability to build a professional military structure.
“The reason for engaging members of armed forces is to encourage them to protect, respect and fulfill human rights. Another part of our broader objective is to push for accountability, so perpetrators are brought to justice,” explained Bernard Mugisha, Human Rights Officer at the UNMISS Bor Field Office.
Honoring this objective, senior military leadership used the opportunity to reaffirm their commitment to enforce strict discipline within their ranks. Such as Major General Akol Bol Deng, Deputy Commander of Infantry Division 8 in Bor, who stressed that compliance begins with leadership and foundational training:
“Anyone who violates human rights under my command will face punishment which may lead up to imprisonment. However, prevention is key. We must integrate human rights education into recruitment training and strictly enforce directives against the recruitment of child soldiers.”
After the training sessions, participating leaders promised to turn their commitment into concrete action plans to better protect the civilians relying on them.
In the true spirit of a partnership for peace, UNMISS and SSPDF concluded the session with an agreement to maintain information sharing and continue the mission’s support for the introduction of accountability mechanisms and early warning tools and processes.
By Angellah Mandoreba
