The United States on its annual awareness program on human trafficking has renewed its call on South Sudan government to end abduction of women and children and bring the perpetrators to book.
In a statement issued on Friday by the US Embassy in Juba, US ambassador to South Sudan Michael J. Adler says the US government is deeply concerned about the reports of abduction.
“We are gravely concerned about reports of women and children being abducted, including within the context of subnational violence.” Adler says in the statement
There are ongoing clashes between the Jonglei armed youth and greater Pibor Administrative Area which has continued to sustain abduction of women and children from the two communities.
Adler explains that the human traffickers often take advantage of the instability caused in the areas by conflict hence he called on the leadership to ensure an end to the practice and let the abductors face the law.
“We renew our call for South Sudan’s leaders to act with urgency to end subnational violence and to hold accountable those responsible for abduction and for all other forms of human rights violation, including child soldier recruitment,” he states.
Since the beginning of the year, the government of Jonglei State has been returning abductees – children and women abducted from the Greater Pibor Administrative Area by its armed youth in a number of clashes with Pibor youth.
However, there is nothing that the authority has done to the abductors.
The US government dedicates the month of January every year to raise awareness about human trafficking. Adler said his government us committed to ending human trafficking in South Sudan.
