Gondokoro Civilian Disarmament Violates Human Rights

CEPO (Community Empowerment for Progress Organization) has expressed serious concern over the manner in which civilian disarmament is being carried out in Gondokoro payam of Juba County in Central Equatoria state. 

The evidence emerging from the exercise indicates clear cases of human rights violations. 

CEPO strongly condemns these unlawful acts committed by some military forces and demands a public apology from the military leadership. 

They also call for the immediate return of the children taken by the military forces to their parents in Gondokoro, without any preconditions, including the release of the detained persons.

The Juba County Commissioner and the leadership of Central Equatoria state are urged to intervene in this situation without delay, especially regarding the issue of the children, the detained individuals, and the immediate return of the forcibly displaced population.

According to Hon. Charles Joseph Wani, the commissioner of Juba County, “The initial policy was very clear, disarmament only but not to beat, harass, and forcefully confiscate properties. But the commander took laws into his own hands. Now children have been beaten, women are being assaulted, and unlawful detention of youth and chiefs are unwanted. Therefore, we want the government to intervene and investigate these matters.”

Mr. Edmund Yakani, Executive Director of CEPO, emphasizes that civilian disarmament is a necessary step to reduce armed violence among the population or communities. However, the violation of human rights in the process is unacceptable. 

The military should have learned from past experiences where forceful disarmament led to violence and even deadly confrontations between the military and civilians. Yakani questions why the same mistakes are being repeated in the Gondokoro civilian disarmament situation.

Among the unlawful acts committed by the army, which constitute human rights violations, are taking children hostage or walking away with an unknown number of children from their parents, detaining 19 persons, including four chiefs, and forcefully displacing the civilian population while assaulting them. All of these acts are in violation of child rights, as stated in the bill of rights, the South Sudan Child Act of 2008, and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. 

Furthermore, the forceful displacement of the civilian population is a violation of the right to an adequate standard of living. These accounts of unlawful acts have been testified by numerous victims in Gondokoro payam.

Mr. Yakani is urging the political leadership in Central Equatoria State and the national government to intervene in the violated civilian disarmament in Gondokoro payam. 

The joint operations for disarmament began in December 2023, with the aim of reducing crime in Juba and across the Country.