EU Ambassador Calls for joint efforts to foster Human Rights Culture

11.12.2020

Ambassador Christian Bader speaking at the celebration of the International Human Rights Day on Thursday.

The European Union Ambassador to South Sudan has called for a collective responsibility from all stakeholders to enforce the culture of the observance of Human Rights and respect for people’s values in order to build a just and peaceful society.

Speaking at the celebration of the International Human Rights Day under the theme: “Recover Better: Stand Up for Human Rights”, Christian Bader said Human Rights violation in the country is acute and widespread.  

“As we approach the 10th anniversary of the birth of South Sudan, 2020 has been a bad year. There are over 2000 victims of armed violence in different parts of the country,” Bader noted. “People have been displaced, lost their property, there is a lot of sexual gender based violence against minors and too many arbitrary detentions and forced disappearances.”

Group of people

Ambassador Christian Bader (extreme Left), French and German ambassadors Marc Trouyet & Manuel Muller and other activists join the stage to congratulate Lorna Merekaje, the winner of the French-German Human Rights award on Thursday.

During an earlier event to commemorate the 16 days of activism on Tuesday, Ambassador Bader warned against imposing laws and values on others without their consent. “As the EU Ambassador in this country, I represent values that we think are intangible and universal.  But it would be a mistake to try to impose them on others without asking them what they want and what they don’t,” he stressed.

“GBV in South Sudan is a sort of endless spiral of poverty and violence, one increasing the level of the other. Violence affects everybody, men, women and children but we all know that women and children are likely to suffer much more.”

Woman posing with an award

French ambassador Marc Trouyet, Chief Guest, Presidential Advisor John Gai and German ambassador Manuel Muller handing over the French-German Human Rights award to activist Lorna Merekaje on Thursday at Nyakuron Cultural Centre during the Juba Film Festival Finals.

To curb the endless challenges of GBV, the European Union encourages the government to open spaces for exchanges and discussions and to protect activists. The EU supports the Human Rights Defenders Network in South Sudan and is funding programmes to empower women across the country. For this purpose, the EU Delegation is about to fund projects worth €5 million aiming at improving the regulatory framework for women’s rights and access to justice and promoting women’s economic, political and social empowerment at the local level with specific attention to the most vulnerable situations.

 

dance exhibition

A group of dancers  entertaining guests on Thursday at Nyakuron Cultural Centre during the commemoration of the International Human Rights Day.

The EU Delegation co-sponsored the Juba Film Festival, the Speaking up against Gender Based Violence event, a panel of discussion as well as a radio talk show with activists as part of its activities to mark the 16 days of activism and Human Rights Day 2020.

A group of dancers entertaining guests on Thursday at Nyakuron Cultural Centre during the commemoration of the International Human Rights Day

A group of dancers from the Nuba Community in Juba entertaining guests on Thursday at Nyakuron Cultural Centre during the commemoration of the International Human Rights Day.