South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Simon Deng
The United Nations Mission in South Sudan, in collaboration with the South Sudan Human Rights Commission, held a symposium on Tuesday to empower young people to contribute to the promotion and protection of human rights.
Inaju Uboyih, the head of the Community Outreach and Advocacy Unit for the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, stated that their mission is to ensure people understand fundamental human rights.
“The reason we are here today is to promote and advocate for human rights. We are also here to empower South Sudanese youth to know their rights and use those rights as part of the peace-building process,” said Uboyih on Tuesday at the Pyramid Hotel during the Inter-University Competition on Human Rights.
The Inter-University Competition on Human Rights, involving six universities, saw Saint Mary’s College emerge as the winner, with Stamford International University in second place and Upper Nile University in third.
Other participating universities included South University for Medicine Science and Technology, Nile Theological College, and the Catholic University of South Sudan.
Uboyih noted that students participating in the competition covered various rounds focused on international human rights law, humanitarian law, and the South Sudan Bill of Rights.
“What we aim to achieve is to inspire young people to transform personal awareness into collective action that upholds rights, promotes justice, and builds sustainable peace in the Republic of South Sudan,” he said.
Deng Wol Dumo, the Commissioner for the South Sudan Human Rights Commission (SSHRC), emphasised that the commission is working to ensure people understand fundamental human rights, including the Bill of Rights.
“Human rights are for everybody, and achieving them requires collective effort. We need to work together with international and national organisations and local governments to address human rights issues in South Sudan,” said Dumo.
“Our country has a youth population of 80 percent; the youth need to be empowered. I believe that when we respect each other, we can achieve peace both within our states and across the country,” he added.
Omara Joseph Wani, a human rights lawyer and Protection Officer for the South Sudan Human Rights Defenders Network, stated that South Sudan needs advocacy and campaigns focused on human rights issues.
“In South Sudan, the issue of human rights is often perceived as foreign; it is something we do not fully understand. I believe promoting human rights is one of our fundamental duties, and there is a need for a campaign,” said Wani.
“South Sudan should be able to understand what human rights are and what the instruments provide for us, especially the constitution and other subsidiary laws we have in the Republic of South Sudan, including international instruments,” he added.
Wani also mentioned that the recent press freedom index has shown South Sudan’s ranking improved from 168 last year to 109 this year, though there are still restrictions on human rights, including self-censorship.
“We cannot claim that the human rights situation has improved significantly in the country; we still need to engage more vigorously to enhance the human rights landscape in South Sudan,” he concluded.
