Rape an everyday reality in war-hit Sudan - activist

Report from BBC News Sudan
Dated Wednesday, 22 November 2023 15:01 GMT

Rape an everyday reality in war-hit Sudan - activist

A rights activist in Sudan says sexual violence against women has become a deliberate tactic in the civil war which started in April.

Hala al-Karib, who runs the Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa, says 70% of documented cases of sexual violence are gang rape, and that the targeting of women and girls has become part of everyday reality.

She told the BBC's Newsday radio programme that both the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) had carried out attacks on women, but that the paramilitaries appeared to be using it as a tactic to intimidate communities.

A conference is being held in Kenya's capital, Nairobi, to highlight the impact of the war in Sudan on women.

Read: Gang-raped and racially abused

Click here to view original.

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TIME: Women Hold the Key to a Livable World

From Time
IDEAS
BY HALLA TÓMASDÓTTIR
Dated Monday, 20 November 2023, 5:00 PM EST - here is a copy in full:

Women Hold the Key to a Livable World

Turns out few things work when women aren’t working.

Forty eight years ago, women in Iceland took the day off. Those of us who were around then remember October 24, 1975 as the day the country shut down. Government offices, businesses, and service providers either closed or operated below capacity. Households were in disarray. Grocery stores sold out of hot dogs because, suddenly, dinner duty fell to fathers.

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It wasn’t a “spa day for the ladies,” though. The women of Iceland went on strike for gender equality. In an extraordinary show of courage and common purpose known as “Women's Day Off” (Kvennafrн in Icelandic), 90% of women in the country marched together. They showed up to march and say, in essence, the future is this way.

I was seven at the time and so proud when my mother and aunts told me they took the day off to show that they matter. Like girls and boys everywhere, I wanted to matter, too.

The strike of 1975 shifted minds and catalyzed change. Iceland’s parliament passed a law guaranteeing equal pay the next year. In 1980, Iceland elected the world’s first female president. Three years later, Icelandic women founded the first all-female political party, which successfully applied pressure on other parties to support gender parity and issues important to families and working women. Progress followed, including wins for accessible childcare, equal maternity, and paternity leave and gender quotas for corporate boardrooms.

These days, Iceland enjoys economic and social progress like few others. The World Economic Forum has ranked Iceland atop its Global Gender Gap Index for 14 years running. We’ve earned our reputation as the best place in the world to be a woman. And yet.

And yet, women in Iceland would tell you, “the best” is far from perfect. The gender pay gap remains stubbornly in place. Women disproportionately bear the unpaid (or underpaid) burden of housework and caring for loved ones. Two in five women suffer violence at some point in their lives.

While it’s important to celebrate victories, it’s just as important to get organized and get loud if progress is delayed. So we came together again this October 24th, when more than 100,000 women, nonbinary people and male allies across Iceland took the day off to strike for gender equality. Prime Minister Katrнn Jakobsdуttir and members of her cabinet joined in.

I won’t soon forget the strength and pulsing energy of nearly one-third of our nation, calling for courage in closing Iceland’s 21% wage gap and ending gender-based abuse. I also sensed a deeper awareness emerging in the crowd that day—a shared recognition that gender equality is more than an aspiration; more than a goal for governments, workplaces, communities and households; more than a lever of political, economic and social change.

Gender equality will always be the “right” thing to pursue, but this, too, misses the bigger point. Gender equality and more women in leadership are essential tools for securing a livable world.

A livable world depends on a healthy planet, which is increasingly at risk from climate breakdown and biodiversity loss. A livable world is a peaceful world, yet today wars rage and children are dying and suffering in the Middle East, Ukraine, Sudan, and elsewhere. If it seems to you like the world’s unwell, please know you’re not alone.

The key to overcoming humanity’s present and looming dangers, believes Iceland’s former president Vigdнs Finnbogadуttir, is clear: “If the world can be saved, it will be by women—with the help and friendship of men.”

I agree with Madam Vigdнs Finnbogadуttir, and mounting evidence supports her claim. When women participate in formal peace processes, peace lasts longer. More women in leadership positively correlates to CO2 emissions reductions and more ambitious measures to protect life on Earth. Countries with a higher representation of women in political and economic leadership positions tend to have more equitable healthcare systems, improving overall health outcomes. The list goes on.

It’s difficult then, in the context of an increasingly unlivable world, to accept the staggering gender imbalances at the most powerful decision making tables. Men serve as heads of government of more than 9 in 10 U.N. member states. Nearly 95% of Fortune Global 500 CEOs are men. Despite the fact that climate breakdown disproportionately harms women and girls, men made up two-thirds of country negotiating teams at COP27, last year’s U.N. climate summit in Egypt.

It’s a frustrating reality for equality advocates, but it’s vital we embrace that last part of Madam Finnbogadуttir’s prognosis: “…with the help and friendship of men.” We are living in an all-hands-on-deck moment that demands collaboration by leaders of every gender. To secure a livable world, women and nonbinary leaders, in solidarity with their male allies, must work together to redefine leadership paradigms; dismantle structural barriers; and move beyond violent, extractive and oppressive policies and behaviors toward sustainable, people-first approaches.

We all stand to benefit from gender equality gains, and the women of Iceland have demonstrated that courageous, consistent and collective pressure can get us there. If we want a livable world for all—if we want to ensure safety and opportunity for our children, grandchildren and future generations—we must advocate for more women to lead the way in countries, communities, and workplaces everywhere.

Look to Iceland as proof of concept. Women leaders hold the key to a livable world.

About the author 

Tómasdóttir is CEO of The B Team, a global collective of business and civil society leaders advocating for new norms of corporate leadership. In 2016, she finished second out of nine candidates in the Icelandic presidential election.

https://time.com/6337893/women-hold-the-key-to-a-livable-world/

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South Sudan: Anglican Communion Sec-Gen Bishop Anthony Poggo calls for peace, free and fair elections

THE Secretary General of the Anglican Communion Bishop Anthony Poggo is visiting South Sudan with a delegation of church leaders from England on Monday. Read more in the following report.

 

From Radio Tamazuj - radiotamazuj.org/en
Dated Wednesday, 22 November 2023 - here is a copy in full:

Anglican Communion Secretary General calls for peace, free and fair elections

Secretary General of the Anglican Communion Bishop Anthony Poggo. (Photo: Radio Tamazuj)

(Juba City - 22 Nov 2023) - The Secretary General of the Anglican Communion who is visiting South Sudan with a delegation of church leaders from England on Monday reiterated the Canterbury’s commitment towards consolidating sustainable peace and reconciliation to fast-track the realization of free, fair, and credible elections next year.

Speaking to the press, Bishop Anthony Poggo, said he paid a courtesy call to Central Equatoria State Governor Emmanuel Adil to brief him about his visit and to discuss the impact of the joint visit of Pope Francis, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and Moderator of the Church of Scotland Iain Greenshields.

“It is a courtesy call to brief him on our visit to the country. We discussed the impact the joint visit of the Pope, Archbishop of Canterbury, and the Moderator of the Church of Scotland had on the country,” he stated. “We also wanted to hear from him how things are, the state of affairs in his state, and also the preparations for elections,” he stated “This is an important step because we want to continue to support this country in prayer.”

“The Anglican Communion continues to follow what is happening in South Sudan as our desire is for peace to prevail but also for peaceful, fair elections to happen in this country,” Bishop Poggo added.

For his part, Derick Derickson, the spokesperson in the office of the Governor of Central Equatoria State, said Governor Adil appreciated the role the vital and tireless role the Anglican Communion plays in making sure there is sustainable peace in South Sudan.

‘’The governor commended the tremendous role that the Anglican Communion and church organizations are playing in the country as per propagating messages for peace and unity and reaffirmed his government’s commitment to work together with the religious leaders for the development of the country,” he said.  About the fourth coming elections, the governor also reiterated the need for the religious leaders to continue supporting the government in its preparatory efforts.”

Bishop Poggo who traveled from Canterbury in the United Kingdom was accompanied by key members of the Anglican Communion ahead of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan (ECSS) House of Bishops meeting expected to start later this week.

 

View original: https://radiotamazuj.org/en/news/article/anglican-communion-secretary-general-calls-for-peace-free-and-fair-elections

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South Sudan: Over 69,000 pupils across the country started sitting for Certificate of Primary Education

NOTE that the students started the first exams with Christian Religious Education and Islamic Religious Education. On Tuesday, they will be examined in Social Studies, on Wednesday, English Language, on Thursday, and Sciences, and finally Mathematics on Friday. Read more.

Report from Radio Tamazuj, Juba City - radiotamazuj.org/en
Dated Monday, 20 November 2023 - here is a copy in full:

Certificate of Primary Education Examinations kickoff across the country

Pupils sitting examinations at Buluk Primary School in Juba. 

(Photo: Radio Tamazuj)

Over 69,000 pupils on Monday started sitting for the Certificate of Primary Education across the country.

Speaking during the start of the exams at Buluk Primary School in Juba, Martin Tako Moyi, the Deputy Minister of General Education and Instruction, said they have tried their best to deliver the examination papers to all centers across the country under very difficult circumstances.

He revealed that they fell short of delivering the examinations to one center in Uror County in Jonglei State where planes could not land and that 24 candidates there will miss the exams.

“God granted us success with only one center in Jonglei State, the center in Uror County with 24 candidates missing because it proved beyond our control,” he said. “The plane went several times but they could not find a place to land because the whole area is submerged in water.”

The minister warned candidates against examination malpractice, saying any school or students found in the act would have their results nullified.

“I also appeal to you to avoid malpractices. Do not copy from anybody, and do not do anything that is not acceptable because we do not want to cancel the results of any school. Any malpractice or anything you try to copy will be nullified and the consequence will not only to you but your family who prepared you, your teachers who prepared you for eight years to come and sit,” Tako stressed. 

“I also appeal to invigilators, security personnel, staff, and others that they should not temper with anything. Do not help students cheat because you will be destroying this country. We want everything to go as arranged so that we produce clean results.”

For his part, Vice President Hussein Abdelbagi Akol lauded the efforts of the Ministry of Education in making sure that this year’s examination is conducted by the academic calendar.

“This particular day would not have been possible without the tireless efforts of the Ministry of General Education,” he said. “I therefore, in a special way, wish to congratulate the Minister of General Education and the entire staff for their commitment and dedication to ensure that the Primary Leaving Examination 2023 is conducted within the specified calendar despite the numerous challenges.”

The vice president also warned against examination malpractices, saying it has threatened the credibility of South Sudan`s education system.

“In the recent past, our examination system and by extension, the education system was under serious credibility threats. Cheating in exams and other malpractices had taken root and slowly becoming the norm. I am happy that the Ministry of General Education last year tried to put mechanisms in place to rout out this backward practice with great success,” he said. 

“In this regard, I call upon the teachers or supervisors to put in place stringent measures to ensure that the success achieved so far in primary examination administration is sustained so that our certificates can be respected and honored in the neighboring region and beyond.”

Speaking to Radio Tamazuj at the examination center in Buluk, Ahmed Jidu Khamis, an adult pupil living with a disability and sitting the examination under the accelerated learning program, said he is not just sitting for the exams for the sake of the certificate but wants to encourage the young people to enroll in school.   

“Today I came for the primary leaving exams not to get the certificate to find a job but to encourage the youths to study,” he stated. “I am now old I want to be a role model to everybody because I am unable to walk but want to continue with my education.”

Another candidate from the Accelerated Learning Program and a mother of three, Aker Teng, said she decided to enroll in school to learn English because she initially studied in Arabic.

“I come from an Arabic language background and finding a job has been a very challenge for me. I have tried several courses but in the end, I decided to enroll in school. I have been facing a challenge because people believe that people from an Arabic language background cannot do anything. Earlier on, I sat for Primary Leaving Exams in Khartoum and scored 52 percent,” she revealed. 

“I encourage people, especially women who are victims of early marriage, to enroll in adult education. They should be encouraged to study. I also encourage all parents to send their girls to school because if you educate women, you educate the nation.”

Another candidate, Dominic Simon, who suffers from hearing impairment and spoke through a sign language interpreter, said he was ready to sit the examinations although he faced challenges during learning due to a lack of sign language translators.

“In school, we had some challenges but here we are ready to start the examinations. We people living with disabilities have no jobs but we struggle hard to learn because school is for everybody. We have the opportunity to go to school,” he said. 

“We have communication barriers because sometimes the teachers just enter the class and start teaching without interpreting their lessons. We want interpreters of sign language so that we learn inclusively.”

According to the Ministry of Education, a total of 69,573 candidates, including 38,575 males and 30,998 females, have duly registered for the examinations in 1,665 schools and 551 centers.

The students started the first exams with Christian Religious Education and Islamic Religious Education. On Tuesday, they will be examined in Social Studies, on Wednesday, English Language, on Thursday, and Sciences, and finally Mathematics on Friday. 

 

View original: https://radiotamazuj.org/en/news/article/certificate-of-primary-education-examinations-kickoff-across-the-country

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Correction: UNISFA says no peacekeeper killed

Report at Radio Tamazuj - radiotamazuj.org/en
Dated Tuesday, 21 November 2023 - here is a copy in full:

UNISFA condemns Abyei attacks, says no peacekeeper was killed

UNISFA’s Acting Head of Mission and Force Commander, Major General Benjamin Olufemi Sawyerr. (UN photo)

The United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) on Monday strongly condemned Sunday’s attacks by a group of armed youths on villages in the area around Angath, Wunpeth, and Korioch in the Abyei.

The attacks resulted in an estimated 27 people killed and 14 injured.

In a statement, UNISFA however clarified that they did not lose any peacekeepers during the fighting. 

On Sunday evening, Abyei Information Minister Bulis Koch told Radio Tamazuj that a Ghanaian peacekeeper with UNISFA was among those killed in the ensuing fighting.

“Contrary to inaccurate information published in media and other reports, no UNISFA peacekeepers were killed or wounded during the incident,” the UNISFA statement illuminated.

According to the UN Force, in responding to the attacks, their peacekeepers moved rapidly to enhance security in the affected area by intensifying patrols and closely monitoring the situation.

“UNISFA leadership is also engaging with the Abyei Area Administration and Ngok Dinka traditional leaderships as well as stakeholders in Juba to ensure peace and security is maintained in the Abyei area,” the statement read in part. “UNISFA’s 

Acting Head of Mission and Force Commander, Major General Benjamin Olufemi Sawyerr, reiterates the mission’s commitment to protecting civilians and calls on all communities to refrain from violence and commit to ensuring sustainable peace in Abyei.”

View original: https://radiotamazuj.org/en/news/article/unisfa-condemns-abyei-attacks-says-no-peacekeeper-was-killed

__________________________________

SEE UPDATE by Sudan Watch Editor Wed 22 Nov 2023 added to:

Sudan Watch - November 20, 2023

UN peacekeeper among 32 killed in attack in Abyei

From BBC News

By Richard Hamilton

BBC World Service Newsroom 

https://sudanwatch.blogspot.com/2023/11/un-peacekeeper-among-32-killed-in.html

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End To Killing Of Children, UN Committee Urges

THERE are 468 million children worldwide living in armed conflict zones, according to Save the Children’s research, accounting for about 20% of the world’s 2.4 billion children population, based on UNICEF’s statistics. One out of every five children worldwide are living within armed conflict zones.

Read more from Scoop Media

Press Release: UN Treaty Bodies
Dated Tuesday, 21 November 2023, 1:30 am - here is a copy in full:

End To Killing Of Children In Armed Conflict, UN Committee Urges

World’s Children Day
20 November 2023

GENEVA (20 November 2023) – With one out of every five children worldwide living within armed conflict zones, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child marks World Children’s Day in a sombre mood and calls for ceasefires and a return to basics of humanitarian law to safeguard all children. The Committee today issued the following statement:

“World Children’s Day has generally been regarded as a day to celebrate the gains made since the United Nations adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1989. Thirty-four years later today, it, however, has become a day for mourning for the many children who have recently died in armed conflict. 

More than 4,600 children have been killed in Gaza in only five weeks. This war has claimed the lives of more children in a shorter time and with a level of brutality that we have not witnessed in recent decades.

The Committee has previously urged for a ceasefire. Unfortunately, the UN Security Council has not put its weight behind that call. While the 15 November 2023 resolution of the Security Council calling for humanitarian pauses and corridors is a positive step by the international community, it does not end the war that is waging on children – it simply makes it possible for children to be saved from being killed on some days, but not on other days.

There are 468 million children worldwide living in armed conflict zones, according to Save the Children’s research, accounting for about 20% of the world’s 2.4 billion children population, based on UNICEF’s statistics.

On World Children's Day, the Committee also wants to underscore that while the armed conflict in the Occupied Palestinian Territory is at the forefront of our minds, we remain acutely concerned that thousands of children are dying in armed conflict in many parts of the world, including in Ukraine, Afghanistan, Yemen, Syria, Myanmar, Haiti, Sudan, Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Somalia. Verified figures show that in 2022, the global figure of children killed or maimed was 8,630. Of deep concern is the fact that up to 4,000 children were denied humanitarian access last year. 

Given the current situation in Gaza, the number of child victims of these grave human rights violations is rising exponentially.

The plight of girls affected by armed conflict is also at a crisis point. In Sudan and Haiti, there are verified reports of abduction and rape of girls, and concerns have been raised by the Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children about the deterioration in access to humanitarian services is driving girls towards being recruited by armed groups.

Children of so-called ‘foreign fighters’ are a further area of concern. The Committee has recommended in three complaints under its communications procedure that children in the camps in Northeast Syria should be repatriated. 

While some States have acted to return children and their mothers, an estimated 31,000 children are still living in abysmal conditions in the camps. The Committee also remains very concerned about boys who are being separated from their mothers when they reach early adolescence, as well as several hundred boys who are in prison.

The Committee recognises World Children’s Day in a sombre mood. In the face of wars affecting children around the globe, we call again for ceasefires, for a return to the basics of humanitarian law, and for thorough investigations by competent authorities of all grave violations against children in the context of armed conflict.”

View original: https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO2311/S00140/end-to-killing-of-children-in-armed-conflict-un-committee-urges.htm

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