Day: November 27, 2021

LAINYA – More than 1000 women, men and children in Lainya town undertook a three-kilometer walk to mark 16 Days of Activism.

They had a dual objective: To raise awareness regarding the need to eliminate all forms of violence against women as well as poor hygiene conditions in the area which has an adverse effect on women’s health.

“Women and girls in South Sudan have continued to suffer from abuse and conflict,” says Lilly Manase, a social worker. “Most importantly, they shy away from reporting domestic violence and even rape because in this country, women are traditionally supposed to be married forever. They are scared that if any such report becomes public their husbands will abandon them.”

For his part, Abugo Simon, an HIV/AIDS Officer with the South Sudan Health Association, says he believes there is a direct correlation between mental, physical and emotional wellbeing and violence.

“Children who come from families where their father abuses their mother are traumatized,” he states. “A home is actually the first school that a child goes to and it is the duty of every parent to teach their children the importance of equal rights and give them a safe, conflict-free environment. If you want your boys to be respectful of girls, you must lead by example,” he adds.

Lilly’s frustration is compounded by children who are suffering from numerous diseases due to a lack of sanitation and hygiene among communities. “People dump waste by the road and it becomes a breeding ground for all kinds of germs. We consistently suffer from diarrhea and other food-borne diseases. Especially now, with COVID-19 and its variants, I cannot stress the importance of proper handwashing,” she states. “It’s not just important for women but for everybody.”

Perhaps the most eloquent testimony for ending gender-based violence came from Obadia Soka, a community elder in Lainya county. “As husbands, we are responsible for upholding the rights and dignities of our wives and ensuring they have as many opportunities as we do to educate and empower themselves. As fathers, we have similar responsibilities to our daughters.”

UNMISS collaborated with ACROSS, a faith-based organization to organize this event.

Source: UN Mission in South Sudan

KHARTOUM, SUDAN — Sudan’s army said Saturday several soldiers had been killed in an attack by armed groups and militias linked to the Ethiopian military in a disputed fertile border region.

Relations between Khartoum and Addis Ababa have soured over Al-Fashaqa, a border zone long cultivated by Ethiopian farmers but claimed by Sudan.

“Our forces tasked with securing the harvest in Al-Fashaqa … were attacked by groups of Ethiopian army forces and militias, who sought to intimidate farmers and spoil the harvest season,” Sudan’s armed forces said in a statement.

Sudanese troops “repelled the attack” and “inflicted heavy losses in lives and equipment” on the Ethiopian side, it said.

But the attack left “several killed” among Sudanese forces, the army added.

Ethiopian officials could not be immediately reached for comment.

Al-Fashaqa, which also borders Ethiopia’s troubled Tigray region, has seen sporadic deadly clashes between the two sides over the years, but escalated last year.

Tensions rose after fighting erupted in Tigray in November 2020, which sent tens of thousands of refugees fleeing into Sudan.

Khartoum and Addis Ababa have since been locked in a tense war of words over the region, trading accusations of violence and territorial violations.

The border dispute feeds into wider tensions in the region, including over Ethiopia’s controversial Blue Nile dam.

Sudan, along with Egypt, has been locked in a bitter dispute over Ethiopia’s mega-dam for a decade.

Both downstream countries, dependent on the river for most of their water, see the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam as an existential threat.

Source: Voice of America