Kou attended and represent Yar and Ajak/CPI in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The program was sponsored by a former Canadian General and designed by Search for Common Ground, a DC base NGO.

Child Protection International (CPI) and the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, had invited the former US Special Envoy to the Sudan, Amb. William Richardson in the second week of Oct.  Check in on the CPI website for more details about this event.

Child Protection International recently sent the attached memo regarding child abductions in Southern Sudan and the need for birth registration to Dr. Sima Samar, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Sudan.

From the memo:

Child abduction, a longstanding cultural practice that is an extreme violation of the rights of the child, is on the rise in Southern Sudan. The recent intertribal 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 scare resources, revenge attacks and uneven civilian disarmament have contributed to the rise of violence. Child protection is a crucial issue within the dynamics of intertribal 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.

Download the entire memo from August 2009.

From the memo:

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.

Kou Solomon, testified June 10 at a  Washington, D.C., roundtable discussion hosted by US Secretary of Labor, Hilda Solis, to recognize the World Day against Child Labor. Kou talked about the need for international action to prevent abductions, like those suffered by his family in 2007, when his two nieces were forcibly abducted by members of a different ethnic group.  The AFL-CIO has an excellent article on their blog mentioning Kou.

It is with great sadness that we report the death of our friend, John Akuach. John’s life was tragically taken when, this past Sunday evening, he was struck by a car while he walked in Juba, South Sudan. John was a person of character with much to offer his home country of Sudan; he had recently completed law school and was newly married.

John was a great friend to the Campaign. When, in March, Kou, Kait, and Robyn traveled to Kampala, Uganda on their way to Juba, John arranged nearly everything for their arrival, from hiring a driver to helping them to attain entry visas for Sudan. The visit would have been far more difficult without John’s assistance, and we had looked forward to seeing him again on future trips. John Akuach will be deeply missed, and our sympathies are with his family on this terrible loss.

Caroline, Kait, Kou, and John in Kampala Uganda in March (Photo taken by Robyn Skrebes)

For anyone who did not receive a copy of the fall 2008 newsletter in the mail, we are pleased to have it available here. 

Enjoy!

newsletter-fall-2008-small2

Thanks to everyone who came to see our photos from Sudan today! We had a great time and some wonderful food. Thanks also to Common Roots Cafe for hosting our group and for displaying the photos! 

In other news, our quarterly newsletter was sent out last week. In it, we talk about the recent accomplishments of the Save Yar Campaign and Child Protection International as well as our goals for the next several months. If you did not receive a copy of the newsletter and would like one, please email robyn@childprotectioninternational.org.

We are in the back room at Common Roots Cafe (2558 Lyndale Ave So. Minneapolis) from 3:00-6:00. Hope to see you there!

Please join us this Sunday to see photos from our trip to Sudan!

Who: You and your friends!

What: Photo Exhibit

When: Sunday November 9th, 3:00-6:00 p.m.

Where: Common Roots Cafe, 2558 Lyndale Ave. S. Minneapolis, MN

Why: To learn about our recent work, look at photos, and eat great local and organic food

See you Sunday!