Yambio commissioner calls to respect human rights

February 25, 2016 (YAMBIO) – Commissioner of Yambio county in the newly created Gbudue state, has called upon the South Sudanese leaders and community to respect human rights in order to promote peace, justice and accountability in the new country.

Commissioner Hussein Enoka, made the statement during the commemoration of International Human Rights Day on Thursday which was organized by United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). The day was delayed since December 2015 due to insecurity caused by clashes between the South Sudanese army (SPLA) and armed local youth in Yambio county.

Hussein said negative political differences among politicians result to bad governance, lack of respect of religion and culture, lack of equal distribution of power and wealth, which create hatred and open way to conflict and disrespect of human rights.

He urged the citizens of South Sudan to be open to their leaders on what they want them to do in terms of security provision and development, also urging leaders to humble themselves to listen to the common people at grass roots.

“This was in relation to the sentiments in Yambio where communities are afraid to speak to government officials or security organs on some key issues because they may be arrested or tortured to death,” he said.

Celebrating the international human rights day is a key to creating awareness on respect of human rights and advocacy to promote freedom of speech, freedom to life, and freedom to education. During the occasion, students demonstrated these incidents and values in a drama.

Meanwhile the head of human rights division in the former Western Equatoria state, Caroline Woudo, who read the news release for the occasion last year it said: “People are facing new alarming growing issues of hate speech against religious and racial minorities, curbs on freedom of speech and of association and on workers’ rights and the treaty to privacy in an increasingly digital world.”

She said due to unrest in Yambio, human rights organizations could not organize the celebration amidst conflicts which have badly affected many schools because children have nowhere to go for classes as many schools are closed and the rights of children to go to school is violated.

The chairperson of Women General Union, Grace Ngba-Azande, who delivered a speech on behalf of women, strongly condemned what she described as the “barbaric act” in which several women were raped in Yambio and in Western Equatoria state in general during the recent conflict where the rights of women were violated.

She added that women should be respected and they needed protection from the government, adding that justice and accountability should prevail.

Many pupils from various schools, government official, United Nations agencies and UNMISS staff attended the colorful occasion in Yabongo Primary and Secondary School in Yambio county.

(ST)