SSPDF Voices Commitment
Maj. Gen. Chaplain Khamis Edward, head of the SSPDF Child Protection Unit, told a Juba symposium the army will partner with all human-rights groups to apply domestic and international standards.
He cited his briefings to the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva, noting that child-rights protocols are already woven into operational guidelines.
“Without respect for rights we cannot function,” Edward said, adding that the army’s legal department monitors compliance with both the constitution and treaties.
Lawmakers Demand Wider Protection
Parliamentary Human Rights Committee chair James Othwon Awer urged partners to shield activists, journalists, and defenders, warning that tribal politics can expose them to threats.
He pressed participants to secure data and serve all communities impartially, saying a defender “must advocate without fear”.
Civil Society Tackles Digital Threats
Hold the Child executive director Deng Machuor described a landscape of physical and digital risks, stressing that new security tools and rapid support remain vital.
His organisation is running a British-funded two-day workshop themed “Stay Safe While Advocating for Human Rights,” aimed at teaching risk-mitigation tactics.
Regional Significance and Next Steps
Analysts say the training, though modest, signals a maturing rights discourse inside security institutions that were once seen as closed.
Observers will watch whether pledged cooperation translates into systematic safeguards, even as regional militaries, including forces in Congo-Brazzaville, weigh similar internal reforms.