Anglicans raise the plight of South Sudan at U.N. human rights meeting

[Anglican Communion News Service] On March 27, the Anglican Communion raised South Sudan’s plight at the 58th Session of the Human Rights Council of the United Nations in Geneva, emphasizing the human rights of women in the country, which is again on the brink of war.

With high poverty levels, large refugee movements, inter-ethnic communal violence and endemic corruption, South Sudan – the world’s newest country – is standing on a precipice.

Those who suffer most are usually women and girls, and so the Anglican statement spoke out against the gender-based violence, sexual violence used by armed groups and the forced abductions that plague South Sudanese society.

In his statement to the UN, the Rev. Glen Ruffle, the Anglican Communion’s UN representative in Geneva, highlighted the work of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan and the Mothers’ Union in challenging systemic patriarchy, alongside their work to give women livelihoods, opportunities and equal access to justice.

Commenting afterward he said, “The work of our churches is inspired by Jesus, who raised up the weak and protected the most vulnerable. Women and girls are impacted the most by the conflicts and poverty, so we are calling on the world to help states like South Sudan, where things are so fragile.”

The Anglican statement called on South Sudan’s leaders and the world’s states to commit to implementing the peace agreements, strengthen prosecution of gender-based violence, build microfinance and literacy programs for women and girls, and work with the South Sudan Council of Churches.

Here is the text of Ruffle’s statement:

The Vienna Declaration remains a major achievement for human rights, recognizing the dignity of each person, which we believe reflects the image of God in them, but rights mean little when the world allows atrocities against women and girls to continue.

As an example, 14 years ago, the world welcomed the birth of South Sudan, yet today women and girls continue to be abducted, raped along ethnic lines, subjected to sexual exploitation by captors and gang raped.

Although there have been some improvements in prosecutions of gender-based violence via mobile courts, there remains in most cases impunity to these crimes against humanity, with sexual violence still used systematically by armed groups.

The Episcopal Church of South Sudan, the Mothers’ Union, parts of the Anglican Communion, alongside many other churches and organizations, are working to challenge the systemic patriarchy, power imbalances and the under-representation of women, as well as reconciling communities and advocating for the poorest.

To protect human rights across the whole country, particularly women’s rights, we call on South Sudanese leaders to:

• • Recommit to implement the revitalized peace agreement,
  • Work with the South Sudan Council of Churches to reduce tensions and violence,
  • Strengthen the prosecution of gender-based violence; and
  • Encourage microfinance and literacy opportunities for women and girls.

We urge states and South Sudan’s leaders to commit to reduce the escalating tensions, which, should violence return, will impact women and girls the most.