South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Simon Deng
The three-day training for senior police officers on the protection of children from grave violations concluded on Thursday, with participants emphasising the need for better safeguarding of children’s rights.
Kwekwu Adoah Bassaw, the head of coordination and operations for the child protection unit of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, said the action plan provides a framework for what should be done to protect children.
“In South Sudan, over 50% of our population is children. In some countries, the population of children is low, so we are lucky. And I am telling you, if you protect the rights of our children, our future will never be bleak like the years that have gone by,” said Bassaw.
“By learning, especially by the commissioners of the states, they will disseminate it to their forces and implement what is possible. Of course, I think that people need peace. Peace is not articles, it is not books, it is not agreements. Peace is actions. If we are taking the right actions and legal actions, then we will be peaceful, we will be secure,” said Bassaw.
“So we need to ensure that our children are protected and invested in, especially in the area of education.”
Lt. Gen. Thomas Jal, the Deputy Inspector General of Police, said the training offered to senior police officers will elevate the country to another level. He expressed hope that one day South Sudan will reach the standards of UN peacekeepers.
“As police officers know, protecting people, their lives, and their property is one of our mandates. We also need to protect children, who are the future leaders of this country. We must ensure their safety and not recruit them when they are still very young,” said Jal.
“It is clear in our constitution, and our Child Act addresses this issue. We thank our partners in Child Protection for what you have done over these three days. We have gained a lot of knowledge here, and I am sure that when we return, all these insights will be implemented.”
