South Sudanese army wows to protect rape trial witnesses
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The rank of Lt general is pinned on Lt Gen. James Ajong by President
Salva Kir, and Vice President James Wani, during the swearing-in
ceremony as SPLA general chief of staff on Wednesday 10 May 2017 (ST
Photo)
September 2, 2017 (JUBA) – The South Sudanese army has vowed to
protect witnesses willing to testify before the military court against
soldiers accused of raping foreigners at a hotel in the capital, Juba.
“We have no problem with anyone coming out to testify before the
court. The issue of the safety of the witnesses was discussed at the
command council and it was agreed that the witnesses would be accorded
all protection they want. If they do not want to come to the country,
they can testify through video link,” the army chief of staff, Gen.
James Ajonga told Sudan Tribune Saturday.
He added, “So let no one feel they will be targeted. The command has
granted protection”.
The army chief said recent decisions of the command council to
restructure the army are parts of the general efforts to overhaul and
reshape the institution so that it moves towards a professional army
in which the ground, riverine and air force are equally represented.
“Just give us time and our people will appreciate the result of their
patience. They stood with their sons during the war of liberations
when they were the source of their strength. We want them to not be
disappointed by the actions of individuals on which we are working to
improve so that there is a discipline in the army”, he said.
The top military officer revealed that the command council, in which
he currently sits, recently unveiled strategic plans to reorganizing
the military headquarters, re-zoning the military commands, setting up
new strategic zones and joint operation command systems.
Other areas, according to Ajonga, include strengthening the country’s
central military leadership command structure, imposing strict
discipline on the army, pushing for more innovation, reforming
personnel management system and pushing for integration between the
building of national defence and economic development.
The army chief of staff general urged the civil population to work
together so that the military institution can be professionalised.
“Instead of continuing to blame the soldiers, we need to work together
because the people we are blaming [are] our brothers, our sons,
husbands and above all our fellow citizens. And more importantly, what
I always emphasize is that these soldiers are there for you, for me
and the whole country,” further stressed Ajonga.
“We don’t work together with them to correct and make an adjustment,
then we have failed in our roles as the citizens and we shall always
allow ourselves to be consumed by accusations and justifications”, he
added.
The senior army official was reacting to queries on what military
leadership was doing to protect the image of the army by identifying
elements accused of gang raping foreign nationals and vandalizing
Terrain hotel when fighting erupted in July 2016 between government
forces and fighters loyal to the rebel leader, Riek Machar.
The trail of the accused soldiers, observers say, would be a key test
of accountability in a country where impunity is pervasive. Those
accused of atrocities never appeared in public before the court.
In the July incident, 12 South Sudan soldiers were accused of
gang-raping five foreigners, killing a local journalist while forcing
survivors to watch and looting the Terrain hotel compound in the
capital, Juba.
The trial of the accused South Sudanese soldiers almost collapsed when
judges at the military court threatened to dismiss the charges of rape
and murder unless the foreign victims and witnesses testified. The
same judges initially rejected the possibility of remote testimony via
online video interviews, but have now accepted after directives from
the command council permitted testifying through a video link.
(ST)
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Kind regards,
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3 September 02:16, by Don-Don Malith Rual
How is civilian control over military achievable in this
circumstance¿There have to clear division btwn poltical military roles
n responsibility, The simple step should be to keep military out of
politics by forming military subordinate to civilian leaders who are
to be accountable to assembly or public n policy making! Increase in
military budget leading to rival services to achieve their needs
repondre message
3 September 03:41, by john akeen
The government of our country South Sudan must obey the law, the
Army of our country must protect the law and the territory of our
land, and justices must sanction any criminal who violated the laws,
and police must enforce the law in a every corner of the country and
should not be friend with anyone who barck the law, and peoples must
be afraid of the law because no one is above the law
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