Posts Tagged ‘UNMISS’

Journalists get training in Africa: examples from Tanzania and South Sudan

April 9, 2014

“Like other people, journalists have personal interest in the rights that allow them to live in freedom and to be free from fear or oppression…” said Onesmo Olengurumwa, National Coordinator of  Tanzania Human Rights Defenders – Coalition (THRD-C).  He was speaking recently in Dar es Salaam at a 3-day seminar for journalists meant to train them in Security Management and Risk Assessment. Similar trainings will be conducted periodically to ensure journalists are equipped with the knowledge on how to best respond and tackle volatile and potentially dangerous situations. “Media owners, editors, journalists, human rights NGOs, community and the government should take security and protection issues for journalists much more seriously,” said Olengurumwa. He also reminded journalists that their personal behaviour, lifestyle and how they approach their work may place them at risk. “Investing on security management and protection for journalists should be undertaken by all media owners,”

Journalists, CSOs, Human Rights and CBOs representatives posing for a group photo during the two-day training on Human rights in NBGS. [Gurtong| Abraham Agoth]

group photo of training on Human rights in NBGS. [Gurtong| Abraham Agoth]

On 28 March 2014 Abraham Agoth in “Oye! News from Africa” reported that Journalists and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) has completed a Human Rights Defenders training course organised by the Human Rights Protection and Civil Affairs Departments of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). Speaking at the closing ceremony, the acting UNMISS state coordinator, Numa Shams urged the participants to apply what they learnt during the training in their daily work so that human rights abuses are minimized. “We hope this work will be incorporated into your daily activities of monitoring human right in your respective working locations and within your communities,” he said. “I have seen your participation and commitments in this training. It clearly shows that you have learnt something and are eager to learn more,” said Mary Makelele, the director general in the state ministry of Information, “My appeal to everyone is that; do not take these skills for granted but instead use them to educate others.” During the training, it was generally observed that human rights have been mostly violated due to negligence and ignorance.

Journalists, CSOs Complete Human Rights Defenders Training | Oye Times.

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Civil Society of South Sudan expresses concern in Human Rights Council

June 25, 2013

On 12 June 2013 Rachel Nicholson, on behalf of the East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project (EHAHRDP), delivered an oral statement to the UN Human Rights Council. It  started by congratulating South Sudan Read the rest of this entry »

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South Sudan: UN Condemns Expulsion of Its Human Rights Investigator

November 6, 2012

On 4 November, All Africa reports that the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) condemns the expulsion of its human rights officer who carried out investigations into human rights situations in the young nation. The Head of the UN office in Juba described it as a “breach of legal obligations” of the country.   (The expelled official, identified as Sandra Beidas, was reportedly given 48 hours by South Sudan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation to leave the country.) Her expulsion is probably linked to a UN report of August, which accused South Sudan army (SPLA) of incidents of torture, rape, killings and abducting civilians during the civilian disarmament campaign in South Sudan’s Jonglei State.

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In recent months, similar reports from Amnesty International and locally-based civil human rights group in the country have accused South Sudan’s security forces of human rights violations in the country, allegations the government has repeatedly denied. However, already in August last year the former head of the United Nations human rights division in South Sudan, Benedict Sannoh, was badly beaten and taken from his hotel room by 10 South Sudanese police officers. The police left the UN official at a hospital after he was beaten, kicked and punched him while he was “in a sustained fashion while he was in a fetal position on the floor” the UN said at the time.

allAfrica.com: South Sudan: UN Condemns Expulsion of Its Human Rights Investigator Page 1 of 2.

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