By Kitab Unango
The policing department in the country has likened the rampant forced and early child marriage in many South Sudanese cultures to human trafficking.
Speaking to the media during launch of National Taskforce on Trafficking report Tuesday last week, Lt. Gen. James Pui Yak, Deputy Inspector General of Police said some forms of human trafficking embedded in many cultural practices, especially marriage, still exist in the country.
Pui’s statement came as an absolute denial of the US Department of State report that the government was doing nothing to eliminate the vice.
The United States Department of State, published recently, says the government of South Sudan does not fully meet the minimum standards for elimination of trafficking and was not making significant efforts to do so.
The report placed South Sudan in the Tier 3 with 13 other countries, including Afghanistan, Burma, Cameroon, DR Congo, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Mali, Nigeria, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen as countries which have failed to comply with minimum standards for elimination of human trafficking.
Pui said child soldier, as a form of human trafficking, no longer exists in the country because of significant efforts of government that led to total elimination of child soldiers among organized forces.
“Those things are cultural things – the way of life of people. There is no way you can eradicate those practices unless you sensitize those particular populations so that they avoid those cultural practices.
“The practice of forced marriage now is diminishing. Nobody can imagine that girls for sure are still forced to their husbands because the government is working to sensitize the population,” Pui said.
“That is why I am saying Yes. we are not denying that there are some forms of human trafficking but they should not say that we are not working. We are working to try to reduce these practices in the South Sudanese societies,” he added.
According to the National Taskforce on trafficking report, none of the country’s legal provision such as South Sudan Penal Code 2008, Child Act 2008, Passport and Immigration Act 2011 and Labour Act 2017 have standard divination of tracking to hold perpetrators accountable.
Against this background, Pui said lack of professional enforcement agencies including police and judges, made it difficult for the government to eradicate human trafficking in South Sudan.
“I said there are still cases of human trafficking but we are appealing to the international communities to train our law enforcement agencies so that they are able to eradicate those crimes within the society.”
He added “Because if there is no professional work force to deal with these issues, how do you make sure those crimes are avoided?” he questioned.
Jean Phillippe Chauzy, Head of Mission of International Organization for Migration (IOM) in South Sudan said the National Taskforce on Human Trafficking report indicated government’s commitment, calling for joint efforts to eradicate the practice in the country.
“The fact that the Taskforce has now been working hardly for a good number of months and there are some indications where to go, is actually strong indication of commitment of the government of South Sudan to tackle human trafficking.
“Human trafficking is demand-driven. All have the role to play in eradicating trafficking because it is a demand for cheap labor, a demand for social services and a demand for domestic workers. So if there is no demand, the trafficking will reduce,” said Phillippe.
Phillipe’s statement reckons that the implement initiatives that reduce unemployment rate among young people.