The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has trained 35 civil society members, journalists and human rights defenders in Lakes State on documenting and reporting rights violations.
The three-day training, which ended on Friday in Rumbek, focused on human rights principles, documentation, sensitive reporting, civic space and advocacy.
Daniel Laat Kon, Lakes State coordinator for the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), said the training aimed to improve participants’ ability to document rights violations and engage authorities on protecting citizens and upholding the rule of law.
“We need to encourage our people to know their own law,” Laat said.
Mahok Malual Kodi, chairperson of the Human Rights Commission in Lakes State, said participants were trained to distinguish between human rights violations and abuses and to document cases while protecting victims’ identities.
Mayak Majak, a representative of the Union of Journalists of South Sudan, said the training covered journalists’ right to access information and the need to verify information before publication.
He urged security personnel and government officials to allow journalists access to information and said victims should not be identified without their consent.
Alfred Ater Ariau, a member of the Lakes State civil society network, said the training had strengthened civil society groups’ ability to educate communities about their rights and advocate for victims of rights violations.
The participants said they would use the skills gained to improve documentation and reporting of human rights violations in Lakes State.
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