Concluding a peace conference in Rumbek today, members of the Kuei and Rup communities agreed to pay compensation for lives lost on both sides in fighting between rival youths.

In two key resolutions adopted, participants agreed to compensate relatives of the deceased with their best cattle and treat those who triggered the violence as criminals.

Compensation for a person killed in cold blood would be 51 head of cattle, and in face-to-face fighting 31. No detention or fines would be imposed.

Clashes between rival youths in the area claimed over 98 lives between November 2012 and January 2013.

Both chiefs and youths swore their allegiance to the resolutions and slaughtered bulls to show commitment to the agreement.

The government promised to strictly monitor the peace initiative, which will be supervised by county authorities, to ensure resolutions are implemented in the best interests of communities.

Peace Committee Chairman Makoi Bol Kodi called on chiefs of both communities to identify people killed so that immediate compensation could occur.

Attending the conference were 18 executive chiefs, parliamentarians, Lakes Peace Committee representatives, government officials, and the Rumbek Central County Commissioner.

UNMISS monitored the peace conference and assisted with logistics, including transport.

Conflicting communities in Jonglei State were using children as weapons of war and triggering further violence, an UNMISS official said today in the state capital Bor.

“(When) cattle raiders fail to get cattle, they abduct children (instead),” said UNMISS Jonglei Child Protection Officer Ephraim Abwe Diabe. “Child abduction is… related to cattle rustling, inter-communal violence and retaliatory attacks.”

Mr. Diabe said UN organizations were working with the government to protect children caught by conflict in the state, either as abductees or recruits in the armed forces.

“Children are the future of this young country,” said State Minister of Gender, Child and Social Welfare Rachael Omot. “If you see a child who is suffering, do not ignore him.”

She noted that UNMISS had provided logistical assistance in tracing, identifying and reuniting children with their families.

Mr. Diabe said UNMISS had helped trace and reunify 120 child soldiers in Jonglei released from the ranks of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) in October last year.

UNICEF Bor Child Protection Specialist Angelina Mwau said the organization had also helped demobilize 49 children associated with David Yau Yau forces in Pibor County in 2011.

She added that UNICEF was also engaged in talks to pave way for the release of 35 children in the forces of James Kuburin, a former militia leader previously allied to David Yau Yau, who surrendered to the SPLA in December 2012.

Mr. Diabe said UNMISS had spotted, identified and verified the existence of children among the SLPA in both Akobo and Pibor counties, but that it was difficult to establish specific data.

Aiming to build the capacity of local stakeholders on child rights, UNMISS had trained eight SPLA officers as Trainers of Trainers at army headquarters in Bor County’s Pan Pan Diar township, the UNMISS official said.

He added that more child rights’ campaigns starting this month were scheduled for SPLA officers in Pibor, Akobo, Pariak and Waat localities in the state.

Besides the army, UNMISS also trained 40 social workers from the state Ministry of Gender, Child and Social Welfare.

In November last year, a team comprising of the Ministry of Gender, Child and Social Welfare, UNMISS, Radio Miraya and Radio Jonglei concluded several radio campaigns encouraging communities to stop child abduction.

Ms. Mwau said that several challenges, such as the nomadic lifestyle of the communities, poor roads and insecurity, were affecting the progess of efforts to protect children.

She added that some children did not want to leave the armed forces, due to lack of support in the communities.

“It is all about power, security and food,” the UNICEF official said. “In Jonglei, a child sees (more advantages of being) in the army than outside it.”

“There can be no sustainable reintegration without a good reintegration package…to help the child start a new life away from the (armed forces),” said Mr. Diabe.

UNMISS ISSUES REPORT ON WALGAK HUMAN RIGHTS INVESTIGATION

The United Nations Mission in South Sudan today released a report on the findings of a human rights investigation into the deadly incident that occurred near Walgak, Akobo West sub-county, in Jonglei State on 8 February 2013.

“The findings confirm that the initial reports of the numbers of killed were not far off the mark, and provides recommendations to the government of South Sudan to provide justice for the victims and to avert further violence” said Richard Bennett, UNMISS’ Human Rights Director. “UNMISS and the government should also enhance their early warning capacities and cooperation.”

The report states that at least 85 persons were killed, including 69 identified by name.
The majority of those slain were women and children. At the same time, some parts of the area were difficult to access, and as many as 34 additional persons are reported missing. This implies that the casualties initially reported seem to be reasonably accurate.
The incident represents the highest single loss of life since the increase in intercommunal violence in recent months.

The group of pastoralists, mainly innocent women and children from the Lou Nuer community, were attacked by a group of armed men, allegedly members of the Murle community, while taking cattle on their annual migration to a grazing area. They were escorted by a platoon of approximately 40 SPLA soldiers intended to provide security and deter cattle-rustlers. The attack is assessed to have lasted several hours and involved both indiscriminate and targeted fire by the assailants against civilians as well as the SPLA who were eventually overwhelmed and suffered casualties.

“It is of grave concern that so many people were killed in such a brutal attack on 8 February,” said Richard Bennett. The report positions this criminal incident of violence in deep-rooted inter-community relations, particularly between the Lou Nuer and Murle communities of Jonglei. The causes of inter-communal attacks are multiple and complex, ranging from widespread availability of weapons and insecurity to marginalization and lack of development.

The report acknowledges the efforts that have been made by the Government to anticipate and respond to the incident and thereby reduce the number of casualties. More should be done, however, to protect communities at risk of attack. It is crucial that an investigation takes place with a view to bringing the perpetrators to justice and seeking redress through compensation. This will constitute a strong deterrent to further criminal intention.

UNMISS is also concerned that revenge attacks may happen. It is of utmost importance that the Government continues to call for restraint and engages with all communities to prevent a further escalation of violence.

Following the ravages of more than two decades of civil war, the South Sudan Prisons Service had fallen into a sorry state. “All the prisons that were built before the war were either destroyed or completely damaged during the war,” said General Abel Makoi Wol, Director General of South Sudan Prison Service.

The buildings that remained were in poor physical state and packed beyond capacity, the general added. “We don’t have prisons in South Sudan. What we have are ‘containments’.”

Human rights organizations and media have also pointed to prolonged and arbitrary detention, juveniles imprisoned with adults, poor sanitation, bad nutrition, lack of medical care, pregnant women exposed to health hazards and mentally ill inmates.

Government officials admit that conditions in the country's prisons are dire, but have argued that reports fail to give the whole picture.

“There is no denying certain things like prolonged and arbitrary detention and failure to inform inmates about their rights,” said the Presidential Advisor for Legal Affairs, Telar Riing Deng, at a recent seminar in the capital Juba.

“However, when talking about humane imprisonment, you cannot just make developed countries the yardstick,” he said. “The criticism should take into account attempts that we have made to correct the failings in the first year of our independence.”

The seminar itself was one of many steps the government is taking to improve prisons. Under the theme “Strategies to Attaining a Humane and Accountable Prison System in South Sudan”, it sought alternatives to imprisonment that would help with overcrowding.

General Wol noted that the huge numbers of prison inmates could partly be due to South Sudan's soaring population, which included many foreigners, and new forms of crime.

“We have almost 7,000 prisoners in the country,” he said. “Juba Central Prison, for instance, was intended to take only 400 prisoners, but currently we have almost 1,300 inmates.”

UNMISS Prisons Programme Manager Robert Leggat said the prisons service could not be faulted entirely, as it was just one – and the last – of different components in the criminal justice system.

“Any delays at any other stage in the system, whether it is delayed court proceedings, or arrests that are unlawfully made, essentially end up reflecting on the prisons service,” he said.

But the service is constantly working with other actors and seeking support from partners, especially in reorganizing rehabilitation programmes for inmates and building prison officers’ skills.

“The prisons service has very brilliant and forward-looking leaders who are constantly seeking to improve the situation,” said Mr. Leggat.

One step forward was the 2012 decision by the national Council of Ministers to rename the prisons service the “National Corrections Service of South Sudan”, a recommendation that would be instituted by the Constitutional Review Commission.

Seeking to do more than just change a name, the prisons service subsequently drafted a Strategic Development Plan, with guidance from the UNMISS Corrections Advisory Service.

Over the last six months, UNMISS has organized a series of workshops for prison officers in different states about the plan, which seeks to transform the service into a “highly professional, ethical and responsive organization that contributes to public safety and security through humane penal practices, and promotes a work culture that sustains well-motivated, dedicated and innovative staff”.

Still, the development plan is a tall order to some degree, especially as some staff lack appropriate backgrounds.

“It is a challenge that many of the prisons staff started off as part of the military and sometimes have limited education and management skills,” he said. “However, we are providing them with training.”

“We have the Prisons Act and regulations are being drafted, but we need capacity building,” said General Wol. “Even if we have the best documents ... there will still be gaps.”

“We started from scratch but we are making progress,” he added. “We are actually in the process of transformation.”

The South Sudan government must take all necessary steps to protect civilians during ongoing military operations in Jonglei State, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General (SRSG) for South Sudan, Hilde F. Johnson, said in Juba today.

Addressing a press conference at the mission’s headquarters, Ms. Johnson said that groups of civilians ranging in size from hundreds to over 3,000 have been given shelter in UNMISS bases in Jonglei during clashes in recent months between the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) and armed rebel groups.

“The frequency and gravity of these cases underscore the importance of the protection of civilians mandate of UNMISS, but also the need to build the country's capacity for the Government and its security institutions,” said Ms. Johnson. “It is first and foremost the responsibility of the Government to protect civilians.”

Ms. Johnson noted the “credible efforts” made by the Government and community leaders to bring peace and stability to Jonglei but added that it was unfortunate that attempts to engage the militia leader David Yau Yau in negotiations had not produced any results thus far.

The UNMISS chief said that military operations against the Yau Yau armed group were underway and urged SPLA troops to draw a clear distinction between combatants and unarmed civilians.

“It is absolutely essential that the Government, the SPLA and all other security forces abide by their international and human rights obligations, especially those under the Geneva Conventions, which South Sudan signed last year,” she said.

The SRSG expressed concern over reports that youths are mobilizing for a possible attack in retaliation for the killing of at least 85 people on 8 February near the community of Wangar.

Ms. Johnson also highlighted the Mission’s policy of treating all communities in South Sudan with complete impartiality. She noted that six companies of UNMISS military peacekeepers have been distributed among different parts of Jonglei where the Lou Nuer, Bor Dinka and Murle ethnic groups each represent the majority population.

“I know that there are stories that we are protecting one community, and not the others; that we are biased,” she said. “Let me make one thing very clear, the UN is set to protect all civilians, wherever they come from, whatever their ethnic identity or background.

“Anything else would be a gross violation of our U.N. mandate.”

The UNMISS head also noted the resumption of oil production in South Sudan during the weekend of 6-7 April and expressed the hope that an apparent relaxation of tensions between the country and neighboring Sudan might open “a new chapter” for South Sudan.

Hilde F. Johnson, Special Representative of the Secretary-General in South Sudan, condemns in the strongest terms the killing today of five peacekeepers and seven civilians working with UNMISS in an ambush by unidentified assailants near the settlement of Gumuruk, Jonglei State. At least nine additional peacekeepers and civilians were injured in the attack and some remain unaccounted for.

Ms. Johnson expresses her deepest condolences to the families of all the peacekeepers, colleagues and civilians killed in the attack.

UNMISS peacekeepers frequently patrol the area as part of an effort to provide protection to civilians, as well as providing armed escorts to humanitarian aid convoys.

"This attack will not deter UNMISS and its peacekeepers from working to protect vulnerable communities in South Sudan," said Ms. Johnson, "UNMISS is determined to continue its work in supporting authorities ensure peace."

12 April 2013 -- The attack on an UNMISS convoy in Jonglei State that killed 12 peacekeepers and civilians earlier this week was a sobering reminder of the hidden hurdles and dangers facing UNMISS staff, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General (SRSG) Hilde F. Johnson said in Juba today.

Speaking at a memorial ceremony held at the UNMISS compound in honor of two UNMISS national staff who died on 9 April, Ms. Johnson condemned the “grievous attack” the likes of which had never before occurred in South Sudan even at a time of civil war.

The SRSG paid tribute to Peter Kiko, a heavy duty mechanic from Eastern Equatoria State, and Yuhana Deng, a driver from Jonglei State, as South Sudanese who “died in their country working with UNMISS for their country.”

The UN Assistant Secretary-General for Field Support Anthony Banbury reminded a gathering of UNMISS staff members about the invaluable role played by national staff members in UN peacekeeping missions.

“It reminds us of how grateful we should be for the work of national staff in trying situations,” said Mr. Banbury, who arrived in Juba today and will travel to the Jonglei State capital of Bor on Saturday. “It is on the shoulders of people like Peter and Yuhana that a mission rests. They know both the society and the UN and are able to advise international staff.”

Mr. Banbury said the foremost priority of the UN Secretary-General was the safety and security of staff members in all missions, adding that Ms. Johnson has been assured that all possible measures would be taken to achieve that goal for UNMISS employees.

Representing the South Sudanese government, Ambassador Michael Nyang Jook of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated President Salva Kiir Mayardit’s condemnation of the attack and said the government was committed to ensuring the safety of all UNMISS staff.

Ambassador Jook also spoke at the ceremony as an uncle of Mr. Deng , who is survived by his wife and three children. Peter Kiko was represented by his wife, two of his four young children and his brother Delfino Abbas Alex.

“I personally, my brothers and the family of Peter Kiko are broken,” said Mr. Alex. “We pray for his soul and the souls of his colleagues who have left us.”

Both of the bereaved families received UN flags from Mr. Banbury and SRSG Johnson.

Ms. Johnson described the departed colleagues as individuals who espoused the ideals of the UN which had guided the organization throughout its existence and “will carry us through this tragedy.”

Noting the visit of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir to Juba today, she voiced the hope that it might herald a new chapter in relations between Sudan and South Sudan that “can provide better opportunities for the children of tomorrow, indeed for the children of Peter and Yuhana.”

Seeking shelter from the sweltering sun, tens of ex-combatants sat under mango trees across the Greater Bahr El-Ghazal region on a recent afternoon. The trees were heavily laden with fruit that would soon ripen, an apt symbol of the process that the ex-combatants are about to undergo as members of the initial group of South Sudanese to participate in their country’s first disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration (DDR) programme.

About 500 members of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) and South Sudan National Police Service (SSNPS) will enrol in the pilot training programme, which will formally launch tomorrow at a DDR training facility in the Western Bahr El-Ghazal state community of Mapel.

Nearly two years in the making, the new programme has been allocated a budget of four million South Sudanese pounds and will run for three months.

“The Government has committed itself by (facilitating) the transportation of the ex-combatants to this centre … and providing food,” said William Deng Deng, the chairperson of the South Sudan DDR Commission. “It underscores (the importance) of this programme.”

The process of disarming ex-combatants and reintegrating them into civilian life isn’t unknown to South Sudan. A DDR programme was launched in 2009 in what was then called southern Sudan as well as the Sudanese states of South Kordofan and Blue Nile, and over the ensuing two years 12,525 ex-combatants were processed under that DDR exercise.

That figure fell way short of the 90,000 who were supposed to be demobilized during the transition from civil war to independence, and that DDR programme was halted in April 2011.

As part of an overhaul of the programme, President Salva Kiir Mayardit formed a National DDR Council under the leadership of Vice President Riek Machar and instructed the body to design new policies that would transform the previous DDR program into one that would be sustainable for many years.

About 80 per cent of the ex-combatants who have been chosen for the pilot programme cannot read and write or have limited literacy skills. In order to acquaint them with the DDR programme in advance, outdoor meetings were held last month in six locations scattered across the states of Warrap, Lakes, Northern Bahr El-Ghazal and Western Bahr El-Ghazal.

The teams who organized those informal introductions to the DDR process were drawn from national and state DDR bodies, representatives of South Sudanese security services and staff members of the UNMISS DDR section.

“We are poor people in a rich country, let’s work to make money for ourselves,” SPLA Col. Martin Ring Malek Aguek told one such gathering of ex-combatants. “We don’t even use our cows for business, we use them for prestige. We can learn how to use cows for commercial purposes.”

Participants will receive training in a wide variety of economic activities ranging from agriculture and carpentry to automotive repair and the operation of a small business. More specialized training will be available after the ex-combatants have completed the initial 90-day phase and rejoin their families in their respective communities.

The SPLA is promoting the DDR programme as an opportunity for its ex-soldiers to acquire skills and a steady source of income, however modest that might be.

“After training, you should be able to earn a minimum of 20 to 30 South Sudanese Pounds a day,” Col. Kella Dual Kueth told one group of DDR candidates. “This is much better than being in the military and waiting three months for your salary.”

15 April 2013 – The UNMISS HIV/AIDS unit kicked off a three-week-long training for counselors today in Bentiu in collaboration with the Unity State government’s Ministry of Health and the South Sudan HIV/AIDS Commission.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the training, the commission’s Unity State director Paul Mabany revealed the results of a recent survey during the initial three months of this year that found an HIV infection rate of nearly 14 per cent among the 1,031 people who were tested in Bentiu and the towns of Koch and Leer.

“It is alarming,” said Mr. Mabany. “We (must not) keep quiet. Everywhere (you go), you need to talk about HIV/AIDS.”

The training will focus on the prevention of infection, care and support for patients afflicted with the disease and management strategy. About 40 people attended the opening ceremony and represented the state government’s ministries of health and education, the country’s armed forces, religious groups, the South Sudan Red Cross and the South Sudan Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration Commission.

Dr. Michael Munywoki, head of the UNMISS HIV/AIDS Unit, said counseling was a key tool in HIV prevention. The training is intended to provide participants with the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to conduct one-on-one counseling as well as group therapy counseling and community counseling.

UNMISS Unity State Coordinator Kenneth Payumo urged participants to educate other people in their communities on HIV/AIDS prevention and care.

“You do not (attend) this training just to get a certificate,” he said. “You come to get knowledge and skills that you will share with your communities.”

17 April 2013 – A total of 68 children associated with armed forces in Jonglei state have been demobilized and reunited with their families since 2010, according to Abraham Atem of the South Sudan Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration Commission (SSDDRC).

Speaking at the end of two workshops that were intended to raise awareness among soldiers of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) about child protection issues, Mr. Atem condemned the practice of involving children in military activities.

Over a hundred SPLA soldiers attended the two-day workshops, which took place at the Pan-Pandiar military barracks and the Panyier military training center in Bor County, Jonglei. The workshops were organized by the UNMISS Child Protection unit, in collaboration with the SSDDRC, UNICEF, SPLA and the non-governmental organization Save the Children.

The workshops focused on the Revised Action Plan to end the recruitment of child soldiers that was signed by the South Sudanese government and the United Nations in March 2012.

Implementation of the action plan in Jonglei has been hampered by the fighting and instability that have plagued the state during the past 12 months.

Captain Joel Pitia of the SPLA Division Eight’s Child Protection unit told workshop participants that no child soldiers were currently serving in the division’s Eagle Infantry Unit. He urged parents to send their children to schools instead of the army.

“I am happy to see that we have the commanders here,” said UNMISS Child Protection Officer Ephraim Abwe. “These are people with authority who will send the same message to the troops.”

The soldiers who attended the workshop in the Panyier training centre also listened to a presentation about the mandate of UNMISS as part of an ongoing outreach campaign to improve understanding of the mission’s role in South Sudan.

UNMISS staff members emphasized that the primary responsibility for protecting South Sudan’s civilian population lies with its government and this function encompasses the SPLA as the national military. They added that UNMISS, as mandated by the UN Security Council, is in the country to support the government in that role.

Captain Madul Garang said the SPLA would cooperate with UNMISS in its efforts to consolidate peace and stability in Jonglei.

26 April 2013 – Conflicts between traditional practices and statutory laws needed to be resolved, an UNMISS official said today in the Northern Bahr El-Ghazal capital Aweil.

“… There is … a significant gap between, on one hand, the constitutional rights and the statutory laws, such as court(s) … and on the other hand, implementation on the ground,” UNMISS Justice Affairs Officer Leif Tomas Vik said at a rule of law forum organized by the mission.

Various justice and law enforcement actors attended meeting, discussing issues like prolonged and arbitrary detention, as well as the challenges they face in carrying out their duties.

“… We are … optimistic that this rule of law (forum) will (achieve) its objectives through open discussion among the partners,” said state Minister of Local Government Lino Adup Acher, representing Governor Paul Malong Awan.

25 April 2013 - In an effort to boost child protection in Jonglei, members of the state’s Rule of Law Forum met in Bor today to discuss young people’s rights in the state.

About 22 participants attended the meeting, which was organized by UNMISS Judiciary Affairs Section and the Jonglei Legal Administration office.

Topics discussed included full implementation of the Child Act, schools for young mothers and child abduction as well as justice. Participants also debated early forced marriages, child labour, street children and low basic education retention rates.

The meeting made recommendations to be included in a draft paper, “Frame for Comprehensive Multi-Dimensional Approach to Child Protection in Jonglei State”.

Participants were drawn from the ministries of Justice and Gender, South Sudan National Police Service, South Sudan Human Rights Commission, non-governmental agencies, UN agencies and the legal fraternity.

The forum will reconvene in October to evaluate progress on the draft paper. At the same event, the UNMISS Communications and Public Information Office made a presentation on the mission’s mandate and its role in protecting civilians.

UNMISS staff reminded participants that the government of South Sudan has the primary responsibility of protecting its citizens and that the mission was supporting the government in its efforts.

The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) welcomes the declaration of peace with the government of South Sudan announced by South Sudan armed groups.

In a release issued on Friday, the South Sudan Liberation Army (SSLA), the South Sudan Democratic Army (SSDA) and the South Sudan Defense Forces (SSDF) stated that as of 26 April 2013, their forces “will start interacting with the SPLA army without any confrontation to bring peace to [the] country”. Militias have been ordered “to move to the areas controlled by the SPLA to achieve peace” the statement adds.

UNMISS stands ready to support this peaceful development, including with the demobilization of children associated with these armed groups, and assist the Government of South Sudan to achieve sustainable peace in the country

UNMISS also calls on all other armed groups to lay down their weapons and join the government to build a stable and prosperous South Sudan.

For further information or media enquiries please contact:
Spokesperson, Ariane Quentier
quentier@un.org +211 912 1 77 77 0

1 May 2013 - It was vital for lawmakers in Western Bahr El-Ghazal to uphold democracy in building up the nation of South Sudan, State Governor Rizik Zachariah Hassan said in Wau today.

Mr. Hassan was speaking at a workshop organized by UNMISS for legislators on governance, human rights and rule of law, part of a series of outreach events the mission is organizing in the state.

“In the past, various challenges … led the state to face issues (that affected) good governance, human rights and … the rule of law,” said Mr. Hassan.

In December 2012, protests in Wau resulted in civilian deaths, damaged property and the temporary displacement of thousands of people, who sought refuge at the UNMISS base. Trials of those detained in connection with the violence are ongoing.

UNMISS State Coordinator Winnie Babihuga said the workshop was also an avenue for lawmakers to better understand the nature and role of the mission.

Participants covered topics ranging from understanding rights to challenges like lack of manpower in the judiciary.

One legislator, Mario Nyibango John, noted the importance of addressing the dowry issue, as it was a key factor leading to cattle raids.

Another concern raised was the need to find ways of including women and youth in government, especially those in remote rural areas.

3 May 2013 - Hundreds of residents who took refuge earlier this week at the UNMISS base in Pibor, Jonglei State, have returned to their homes, mission officials said today.

Following an exchange of gunfire between the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) and unidentified armed forces near the town on 29 April, over 400 civilians sought protection at the UNMISS compound.

According to Brigadier General James Kuer, area SPLA commander, armed forces believed to be part of the David Yau Yau armed group fired at his camp and troops returned fire. The exchange resulted in the death of one SPLA soldier, two wildlife police unit officers and one civilian.

UNMISS officials said a Quick Response Team from the mission had observed some tukuls (grass-thatched houses) on fire.

Residents of Jonglei state face frequent security threats due to inter-ethnic conflict as well as fighting between the SPLA and other armed groups. Since 2012, about 6,400 civilians have fled to UNMISS bases in different areas to seek refuge.

2 May 2012 - As the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) released 29 children from its ranks today in Unity State, a state official noted that hunger was a leading reason for young people to sign up.

“Children join the army because of poverty … and (because) some are orphans. Getting food is very difficult,” said George Gatloi Konag, head of the Demobilization, Disarmament and Reintegration (DDR) Commission in the state.

He added that the presence of militia groups in the state had also increased rates of children joining the armed forces.

“I joined the army because there was nobody to take care of me at home,” said 14-year-old Tot Matai Gatmai, who enlisted after his father was killed in fighting between northern and southern Sudan, and his mother disappeared.

The children were demobilized in Pakur Payam, Koch County, a base of former rebel leader Gatluak Gai before he was killed in 2011.

With assistance from UNMISS, they were transported to an Interim Care Centre in the state capital Bentiu.

Mr. Konag said the children would remain at the centre while the commission and its partners, including UNMISS and UNICEF, traced their parents and relatives.

The children were expected to reunite with their families by the end of the month. UNICEF, along with Vétérinaires Sans Frontierés (SWISS-VSF), is also providing resources to support the children reintegrate into their communities.

“One child is going to (receive) five female goats to (take) home,” said Mr. Konag. He asked the government and international community to provide more support to ensure the children would not return to army barracks.

South Sudan made a commitment to release all children from its ranks in an action plan the SPLA signed with the United Nations in March 2012.

6 May 2013 - Aiming to improve the computer literacy of national army officers in Upper Nile, UNMISS Military Liaison Officers completed a basic training course for them today in the state capital Malakal.

Some 15 officers from the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) attended the one-week course.

Captain Gunnar Nikolaisen praised the participants’ diligence during the training, which covered topics like Microsoft Excel, Power Point and the internet.

“I urge you to make use of the knowledge you have (acquired) and share the information with your colleagues who did not get the chance to attend this training,” he said.

A participant, Col. Geu Mach Kur, appreciated the training, which was the first of its kind in the state.

“I am … very happy … as I have learnt how to (start) and (shut down) a computer,” said Col. Kur.

6 May 2013 - It was vital for South Sudanese women to assist in drawing up the country’s constitution and translating it into law, the Presidential Advisor on Legal Affairs said in Juba today.

Speaking at the opening of a women’s national conference on constitutional development, Tellar Ring Deng said the country would still be tasked with “translating the spirit of the constitution into acts of law by parliament” after the constitution was made public.

“It is the role of both men and women of South Sudan to identify gaps in current laws that have not addressed your problems,” said Mr. Deng, who represented President Salva Kiir at the conference.

Women representatives from all 10 states of South Sudan are attending the week-long conference, which will lay down recommendations for the constitution.

The activity was organized by the South Sudan Women General Association (SSWGA) and the National Democratic Institute, with support from UNMISS.

The conference was a vital opportunity for the National Constitutional Review Commission (NCRC) to take serious note of concerns raised by organizations promoting the role and rights of women, said Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General (DSRSG) Raisedon Zenenga.

“President Salva Kiir affirmed that every person, regardless of ethnicity, gender, education, status or wealth, has the right to voice opinions on the evolving text (and that) the constitution will become stronger through participation,” said Mr. Zenenga.

He added that the current generation of South Sudanese had a unique opportunity as well as an onerous responsibility to partake in a historical process.

“Writing a constitution is a key aspect in nation building,” the DSRSG said. “A nation comes together through shared values and aspirations. It is in the constitution that these values and aspirations are defined.”

UNMISS, aware of challenges the government and other organizations would face in “trying to reach everyone in South Sudan” during constitution consultations, had a responsibility and mandate to assist, Mr. Zenenga said.

“We are also expected to support the participation of women in political and decision making,” he said. “UNMISS will provide political, technical and logistical support.”

The SSWGA chairperson, Sarah James, said the conference, under the theme, “Our Nation, our constitution: Women’s participation in constitution development is key”, would harmonize different constitution recommendations from all states.

7 May 2013 - Hundreds of South Sudanese today marched through Juba, demonstrating against the killing of the Ngok Dinka Paramount Chief in the contested region of Abyei on 4 May.

Chief Kuol Deng Kuol Arop and an Ethiopian peacekeeper were killed during an attack on a UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) convoy by Misseriya assailants. The ambush left two other peacekeepers seriously injured.

Deng Athuai, chairman of the South Sudan Civil Society Alliance, which organized the demonstration, handed over statements to representatives of UNMISS and the African Union in Juba.

He said they “regretted the assassination of Chief Koul Deng” and were raising their voices because they did not want war.

“If the Misseriya really want to commit to peace, we need them to make a big commitment…,” said Mr. Athuai.

The president of the Chiefs’ Council of South Sudan, Deng Macham Auguei, called for urgent action against the perpetrators of the killing.

“The UN must take action,” he said. “The person who killed Kuol Deng must be brought to book.”

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon and the African Union chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma both condemned the attack and called for both the Sudan and South Sudan governments to remain calm and ensure the situation did not go out of control.

7 May 2013- Seeking to empower school children in Unity State, UN Police in Bentiu trained them today in traffic rules and basic human rights.

The UN Police Advisors, who conducted the training in collaboration with South Sudan National Police Service in the state, said their aim was to ensure that children crossed roads safely when going to school and returning to their homes.

“It is our duty to teach our children … how to cross roads for (their) safety and (ours),” said Nyaruech Mawien Bol, a traffic police officer. “I am appealing to (the) general public to work together with the police so that people will … understand the general rules of traffic.”

UNMISS Deputy State Police Advisor Efsun Kasap said the traffic training would help prevent accidents in the state.

Last year in Bentiu, a school boy was killed in a car accident and two others were seriously injured when they were hit by a bus, just 200 metres from their school.

In addition to road safety training, the police advisors also explained basic human rights principles to the children.