Memo from Child Protection International
Download the entire memo from August 2009.
Child abduction, a long standing cultural practice that is an extreme violation of the rights of the child, is on the rise in Southern Sudan. The recent inter-communal violence in the States of Jonglei, Central Equatoria, Eastern Equatoria and Western Equatoria has spurred an increase in abductions of over 300 children since the beginning of March 2009. Competitions over scarce resources, revenge attacks, and uneven civilian disarmament have contributed to the rise of violence. Child protection is a crucial issue within the dynamics of inter-communal violence and conflict in Southern Sudan. Child abductions can be directly linked to tribal conflict in that it is a tool used to promote violence.
Child Protection International (CPI), a Minnesota based NGO has worked to bring attention to the complicated issue of inter-communal child abductions since 2007. To combat the dramatic rise of child abductions in recent months CPI has founded a public awareness campaign requesting the Government of Southern Sudan to further advance the protection of Southern Sudanese children.
While we understand that the causes and consequences of child abduction are complex, we believe the strengthening of the Child Act of 2009 and the promotion of birth registration are the first steps to solving the complicated problem of child abductions. Our recommendations to the Government of South Sudan are specifically: (1) to amend the Child Act to strengthen its provisions on child abduction and (2) to undertake a serious registration campaign so that abducted children can be identified and returned to their families. We welcome the assistance of the international community, including the United Nations, governments and NGOs, to realizing these recommendations.
