Senior Police Officers Trained to Combat Child Abuse in Conflict Zones

By Simon Deng

The South Sudan National Police Service has begun training senior officers to prevent serious violations of children’s rights. This training focuses on issues such as the recruitment and use of children by armed forces, child abduction, rape, and other forms of sexual violence.

Lt. Gen. Thomas Jal, the Deputy Inspector General of Police, said that the South Sudan National Police Service is working closely with partners to mitigate crimes that violate the rights of children and women.

“South Sudan police have established special protection units. As police, we also recognize the rights of children. We play a major role; the law gives us the mandate to protect them,” Jal said on Tuesday at the Pyramid Hotel during the opening of a three-day child protection capacity-building training for senior police officers.

“The agreement has its ups and downs, but the biggest task is implementation, which will conclude with the election. With the help of our partners, we have trained officers who are capable of mitigating all kinds of crimes,” he added.

The training aims to raise awareness of child rights and strengthen understanding of the Monitoring and Reporting Mechanism. It is attended by police commissioners and heads of protection units from various states.

Kweku Adoah Bassaw, the Head of Coordination and Operations for Child Protection at the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), stated that the training will enhance the capacity of police officers to prevent and address child rights violations.

“This is one of the numerous capacity-building initiatives we have undertaken with many stakeholders, including the police. They have the responsibility to prevent, protect, and respond to any violations committed against children during conflict, after conflict, and even during peace,” Bassaw said.

The three-day child protection capacity-building training for senior police officers from across the country focuses on raising awareness and monitoring and reporting grave violations against children.

The training is organized by the Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration Commission (DDRC) with support from the Child Protection Unit of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).