By Jackson Gaaniko
The Governor of Western Equatoria State (WES), Badagbu Daniel Rimbasa, has called for an immediate end to harmful practices affecting children, including child marriage.
The governor made this appeal during the official handover of the Western Equatoria State Technical Committee Work Plan for the implementation of the Comprehensive Action Plan (CAP 2020).
The plan aimed at ending and preventing grave violations against children in the state.
Speaking at the event, Governor Rimbasa said the state government remains fully committed to protecting children, particularly those affected by conflict, and to supporting all efforts to eliminate abuses against them.
He noted that the technical committee has developed a clear action plan to guide interventions aimed at ending child rights violations linked to armed groups.
“The state government has the political will to support all efforts aimed at protecting children, especially those affected by conflict,” he said.
The governor also noted that there are currently no confirmed cases of child recruitment into armed forces in the state, describing this as a positive development.
He welcomed South Sudan’s removal from the United Nations list of countries associated with child recruitment, saying it reflects progress in child protection efforts.
He further announced plans to establish a dedicated Child Protection Desk within his office to strengthen coordination with partners working on child rights and protection.
Governor Rimbasa emphasised that every child has the right to life, food, shelter, education, and healthcare and must be protected from all forms of physical, psychological, and emotional harm.
Rita Bampo, a Child Protection Officer with UNMISS, welcomed the handover of the action plan, saying it marks an important step in strengthening efforts to end grave violations against children in Western Equatoria State.
She explained that the Technical Committee, with support from partners, developed the work plan to guide efforts aimed at removing the state and eventually the country from the UN list associated with grave child rights violations.
Bampo added that planned activities include community awareness campaigns, capacity building for security forces, and strengthening child protection systems.
She expressed appreciation for the governor’s continued support and reaffirmed UNMISS’s commitment to providing technical and logistical assistance for implementation.
Hellen Erminio Abiambu, acting director for DDR and chair of the State Technical Committee, reaffirmed the committee’s commitment to fully implementing the Comprehensive Action Plan.
She said the committee is responsible for ensuring that children recruited into armed groups are identified, released, and reintegrated into their communities.
She added that the committee also coordinates the monitoring and reporting of grave violations against children across the state.
The Comprehensive Action Plan (CAP 2020) was signed in February 2020 between the Government of South Sudan and the UN Country Task Force on Monitoring and Reporting to address six grave violations against children in armed conflict.
Despite ongoing efforts, children in parts of Western Equatoria State, including Yambio, Tambura, and Mundri counties, continue to face serious risks such as killing, maiming, abduction, sexual violence, and recruitment by armed groups.