The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Zainab Hawa Bangura, today commended officers from the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army - In Opposition (SPLM/A-IO), for making a commitment to prevent conflict-related sexual violence.

On 31 October, 54 commanders, including Lieutenant General John Buth Teny, one of the highest ranking officers in the SPLM/A-IO, signed the explicit undertakings at the SPLA-IO base of operations in Pagak, Upper Nile State.

Others signatories were three Major Generals, six Brigadier Generals, 13 Colonels, 10 Lieutenant Colonels and 20 Majors.

“These undertakings mean that each senior officer takes individual responsibility as well as command responsibility for his troops, and publicly declares that he will hold each soldier accountable for sexual violence crimes,” said Special Representative Bangura. “This is an encouraging step towards the protection of women, children and men of South Sudan from such crimes.”

The signing followed a workshop on prevention and response to conflict-related sexual violence organized by the Office of the Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict and the Senior Women Protection Adviser from UNMISS.

According to a press release issued by the Special Representative’s office, the engagement with SPLA/SPLM-IO was undertaken in the framework of Security Council resolution 2016 (2011) on sexual violence in conflict.

The statement noted that the undertakings reinforced the commitment expressed by Dr. Riek Machar in a Communique on preventing conflict-related sexual violence in South Sudan, issued on 18 December 2014.

“The undertakings, which are a central element of an action plan of SPLA-IO to combat sexual violence, focus on accountability, timely and rigorous investigations, cooperation with military justice authorities, and protection of victims and witnesses, judicial actors, humanitarians and service providers,” said the statement.

It added that the Special Representative was engaging in a similar process with the South Sudanese government on the basis of a Joint Communique on conflict-related sexual violence between the government and the United Nations, signed by President Salva Kiir on 11 October 2014.