South Sudan

The South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF), including Taban Deng-allied SSPDF, and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army in Opposition – pro-Machar (SPLA-IO) are listed in the annexes of the Secretary-General’s (SG) 2022 annual report (S/2022/493) on children and armed conflict (CAAC) for committing grave violations against children. In March, UMISS’s mandate is up for renewal, per SCR 2625 (2022). According to the SG’s December report on UNMISS (S/2022/918), the UN verified 129 grave violations against children between September 1 and November 30, 2022—representing a significant increase from the previous report (S/2022/689). Grave violations included the recruitment and use of 14 boys, killing and maiming of eight children, rape and other forms of sexual violence against 22 girls, abduction of 17 children, 52 attacks on schools and hospitals, and nine incidents of denial of humanitarian access. Government Security Forces were found responsible for the highest number of verified violations (64), including 27 attacks on schools and 7 incidents of denial of humanitarian access. The Security Council should:

• Renew UNMISS’s child protection mandate, maintaining its child protection capacity, and, in subsequent budget negotiations, ensure distinct budget lines for child protection;
• Urge the Government and parties that have endorsed the 2020 Comprehensive Action Plan to fully and swiftly implement their commitments, and urge all parties to immediately cease all grave violations against children, to facilitate humanitarian assistance and protect humanitarian personnel, and to release and hand over to child protection actors all children from their ranks;
• Call on the Government to prioritize the reintegration of children formerly associated with armed forces and armed groups, ensure that disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration processes and security sector reform fully take into account the specific needs of children, and endorse the Paris Principles and the Vancouver Principles; urge donors to provide long-term, predictable funding for reintegration;
• Call on all parties to take immediate and specific steps to end and prevent rape and other forms of sexual violence against children, ensure survivors have access to comprehensive, gender-sensitive, and age-appropriate response systems and services, and strengthen preventive measures;
• Call on all parties to immediately cease attacks and threats of attack on educational and health facilities and personnel, as well as to refrain from the military use of schools, and encourage the Government to uphold its commitments under the Safe Schools Declaration, which it has endorsed;
• Urge the Government to end impunity for grave violations against children through timely and impartial investigation and, where appropriate, prosecution, and follow through on commitments to establish the Hybrid Court.

The United States is the lead country on South Sudan.

This information is based on Watchlist’s Children and Armed Conflict Monthly Update – March 2023.

In February, the SG published his fourth report (S/2023/99) on the situation of children and armed conflict in South Sudan, covering the period from July 1, 2020, to June 30, 2022. During the reporting period, the Country Task Force on Monitoring and Reporting (CTFMR) verified 457 grave violations against 409 children (287 boys, 114 girls, eight of unknown sex). The most prevalent grave violation verified was the recruitment and use of children (182), followed by killing and maiming (117), and rape and other forms of sexual violence (74). Attacks on schools and hospitals reduced by 50 percent during the reporting period. Government Forces, including the SSPDF, were found responsible for 35 percent of grave violations, while armed groups were found responsible for 45 percent. Accountability, particularly for rape and other forms of sexual violence, continued to be a challenge, however, the UN noted the launch of the Government’s mobile general and district court martials, as a positive development. The UN also noted improved monitoring and reporting conditions enabled by the formation of the Necessary Unified Forces during the reporting period. The Working Group should:

• Strongly condemn all continuing grave violations against children in South Sudan, and demand that all parties fully uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law and human rights law;
• Urge the Government and parties that have endorsed the 2020 Comprehensive Action Plan to fully and swiftly implement their commitments, and urge all parties to immediately cease all grave violations against children, to facilitate humanitarian assistance and protect humanitarian personnel, and to release and hand over to child protection actors all children from their ranks;
• Call on the Government to prioritize the reintegration of children formerly associated with armed forces and armed groups, ensure that disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration processes and security sector reform fully take into account the specific needs of children, including gender-specific experiences and needs of girls, and endorse the Paris Principles and the Vancouver Principles; urge donors to provide long-term, predictable funding for reintegration;
• Call on all parties to take immediate and specific steps to end and prevent rape and other forms of sexual violence against children, ensure survivors have access to comprehensive, gender-sensitive, and age-appropriate response systems and services, and strengthen preventive measures;
• Call on all parties to immediately cease attacks and threats of attack on educational and health facilities and personnel, as well as to refrain from the military use of schools, and encourage the Government to uphold its commitments under the Safe Schools Declaration, which it has endorsed;
• Urge the Government to end impunity for grave violations against children through timely and impartial investigation and, where appropriate, prosecution before competent courts, and follow through on commitments to establish the Hybrid Court.

This information is based on Watchlist’s Children and Armed Conflict Monthly Update – April 2023.

Year listed: 2007
Action Plans signed: SPLA – recruitment and use of children (November 2009; renewed in March 2012 as the national armed forces of South Sudan; recommitted in June 2014); SPLA/M-in Opposition – recruitment and use of children and killing and maiming (December 2015); Comprehensive action plan covering all grave violations replaces previous action plans for SPLA and SPLA-IO as of February 2020.
Sanctions Committee: South Sudan Sanctions Committee (Current Chair: Viet Nam)
Secretary-General’s reports on CAAC in South Sudan: 2020; 2018; 2014; 2011; 2009; 2007; 2006
Security Council Working Group conclusions on South Sudan: 2021; 2018; 2015; 2012; 2009; 2008; 2006
UN Mission: UNMISS