Training on countering trafficking in person. (Photo: UN

The Ministry of Interior in partnership with the United Nations has trained the National Technical Force on the prevention and combating of human trafficking, carrying out compensation and rehabilitation for victims, and the prosecution of traffickers.

Sabri Wani, Co-Chair of the National Task Force, said the training aims to equip taskforce members and law enforcement officers with the skills and knowledge required to prevent trafficking in persons support and rehabilitate victims.

Mr. Wani added that the five-day workshop will also strengthen the prosecution process to bring traffickers to justice.

“This training is to enlighten all the law enforcement agencies, the public prosecution attorneys, the civil societies, the relevant stakeholders about the importance  of combating trafficking in persons in terms of how to prevent the trafficking in person not to occur,” he said.

The training was conducted in partnership with the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and other relevant stakeholders, emphasizing a coordinated approach to tackling trafficking and protecting vulnerable populations.

In South Sudan, the prevalence of the crime of trafficking in persons (TiP) is alarming and exacerbated by prolonged conflict and instability, according to UNODC.

The agency said the country is both a source and destination country for victims of trafficking in persons, with thousands of women and children are particularly vulnerable to exploitation, including sexual abuse, forced marriage, child labor, and recruitment by armed groups.

Addressing the workshop, the Minister of Interior Angelina Teng said the government is committed to addressing human trafficking, which is recognized as both a serious crime and a human rights violation.

She said the training is part of broader efforts to establish a robust legal and institutional framework to combat human trafficking effectively in South Sudan.

“What I want to emphasize here is a demonstration of the commitment of the government, of the Republic of South Sudan, for fighting these serious crimes.  It is not only a heinous crime; it is also a grave violation of human rights.”

“Validating this training manual is a significant milestone for those who are dealing with this crime of trafficking in person. We are now in the process of developing a whole legal framework and in the justice sector as a whole and the security sector.”

“There’s another crime that always accompanies this and this is money laundry.  We must keep it at the back of our minds as we have been trained here as a criminal or a criminal.”

In October 2023, South Sudan acceded to the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) – the main international instrument in the fight against transnational organized crime.