The South Sudan National Police Service (SSNPS) on Thursday successfully concluded a three-day capacity-building training aimed at strengthening officers’ response to child protection issues and the six grave violations against children during armed conflict.
Organized by the Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration Commission (DDRC) with support from the Child Protection Unit of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), the training focused on equipping police commissioners and heads of protection units, with the knowledge to identify, prevent, and respond to violations such as recruitment of child soldiers, sexual violence, abduction, attacks on schools and hospitals, denial of humanitarian access, and killing or maiming of children respectively.
This training comes at a time when South Sudan is preparing for the 2026 general elections, which require security stability across the country.
Speaking during the closing session, Deputy Inspector General of the Police Thomas Ayuel Thomas urged the police commissioners to pass the knowledge they acquired to their colleagues and ensure that the rights of children are respected. He encouraged the police officers to keep upholding professionalism and commended UNMISS for supporting the training.
“I will just give a big thank you to UNMISS, which is funding this program, and to the DDRC for initiating it,” he said. “We wish that these workshops continue so that we can enlighten our people.”
For his part, Oluku Andrew Holt, National Coordinator for Release and Reintegration of Children Associated with Conflict at the Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration Commission (DDRC), urged the police officers to live up to their role of protection and make sure children are not recruited.
He said the DDR commission and UNMISS were able to take the police officers through the Police Action plan on how to protect children from being used as tools of destruction, especially during the coming elections.
“All discussions were about the action plan to protect our children, and it is because of UNMISS support that we were able to spend the three days to build our capacity,” Oluku said.
Participants expressed renewed commitment to uphold children’s rights and integrate the training into everyday policing. One of the participants, who only identified herself as Ngok, said she acquired knowledge about the Police Action Plan and the six grave violations.
“As police, our role is to protect lives and properties, and children are vulnerable people, and we need to protect them,” she said. “As we come from the states, we are going back and will give this message to our colleagues for the sake of our country. As a police officer, protection is one of our mandates, and in this case, protection of children.”