Juba, 21 June, 2022 / 1:26 pm (ACI Africa).
On the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict marked June 19, Church leaders in South Sudan have urged citizens not to stigmatize victims of such abuses.
In a Sunday, June 19 statement obtained by ACI Africa, members of the South Sudan Council of Churches (SSCC) say, “Sexual violence in conflict remains an area of concern in South Sudan.”
SSCC members say “acts such as rape, sexual slavery, abductions and forced marriage” that are “rampant” in the East-Central African nation “are inconsistent with teachings and principles of Christian faiths and against the laws of the country.”
“Survivors of conflict related sexual violence should not be stigmatized,” they say in their two-page statement, and add in reference to survivors, “Their families, the communities they live in and the various institutions must acknowledge their suffering and not victimize them further.”
The church leaders in South Sudan call for support for the “innocent children” saying, “Those who have children born as a result of the sexual violence must be supported and their innocent children not discriminated against.”