23 May 2014 - Seeking to promote security and the prevention of human rights abuses, UNMISS held a workshop on civilian oversight of the security sector and its actors today in Juba.

The workshop brought together civil society organizations (CSOs), including women’s groups as well as religious and traditional leaders, to discuss the role these groups as well as justice actors and media have in security, peace and stability.

UNMISS and its non-governmental organization partners provided practical advice and best practices from around Africa and the world on security sector governance as well as oversight to build CSO capacity in advocacy work.

Sudd Institute Executive Director Jok Madut Jok told Radio Miraya that the activity mainly focused on how South Sudanese could be more acctive in protecting their lives and property as well as pressuring the government to respect their basic rights.

“The understanding is that governments worldwide do not necessarily come to this realization on their own,” Mr. Jok said. “If they are committing any human rights (violations) … citizens should protest and point out that the government has the constitutional obligation to protect its citizens.”

The workshop also acted as a forum for several CSOs to build ties with traditional and religious leaders around common issues affecting their communities like community policing, women’s rights, human rights abuses and traditional justice.

Several participants stressed the need for CSOs to be neutral and united in their demand for good governance and oversight of the security sector. Participants learned from each other’s experiences in lobbying the government, and the constructive roles they could play at several levels with the South Sudanese state.

A senior traditional figure stated that the government and opposition must listen to people’s call for peace and reform, and that CSOs can play a greater role within this peace process by demanding accountability.

Flora Francis, of the Organization for Non-violence and Development, stressed that participants must take what they had learned to their associations and communities to empower them.

“As a country we have suffered a lot and there is a very big gap between communities and the different systems (of government),” she said. “If you just keep silent … it (a violation) will just continue and reach a violent situation. Security oversight is about the active role of citizens to prevent such … events happening in the community.”

The workshop was a follow-up to one held last year, when Civilian Oversight of the Security Sector in South Sudan was first introduced. UNMISS Security Sector Reform Section plans to hold the next workshop in Wau in June.