South Sudan is a country of origin and destination for TIP- forced recruitment into armed forces, forced marriage, domestic servitude, and sexual exploitation, as well as labor exploitation. The traffickers are both South Sudanese and foreign businesspeople, with fraudulent offers of employment opportunities in hotels, restaurants, and construction, and forced labor or sex trafficking. The victims of TIP are mainly from the neighboring countries –Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda – as well as South Sudanese women and children. Juba, the capital city and Nimule on the border with Uganda are the hot spots for traffickers. Migrants to South Sudan face a lot of problems at entry points because most of them are lured to travel without the required documents with promises of getting better jobs. When some of these irregular migrants reach their destinations, life becomes contrary to what they were promised and they become victims of trafficking. East African migrants transiting through South Sudan to North Africa remain vulnerable to forced labor and sex trafficking.  Traffickers exploit individuals along the country’s borders with Uganda and Kenya where economic activities are concentrated, as well as in artisanal mining operations along South Sudan’s border with DRC. South Sudan also ranks the 5th globally in child and forced marriage, with families forcing some girls into marriages as compensation for inter-ethnic killings; husbands and their families may subsequently subject these girls to sex trafficking or domestic servitude. The continued violent conflicts in the country have increased the risk of trafficking and sexual exploitation among the displaced communities, due to sometimes limited access to formal justice and support networks.  Unaccompanied minors in the IDP and refugee camps are particularly vulnerable to trafficking.  Inter-ethnic abductions, as well as abductions by criminals and armed groups are common in the country. (https://www.state.gov/reports/2023-trafficking-in-persons-report/south-sudan/)

Response Plan: TIP Prevention, prosecution & Protection

Our response will focus on enhancing prevention of TIP through identification and documentation of victims of trafficking (especially at the points of entry) and provision of care and support (including case management, PSS) to victims of trafficking. STEWARDWOMEN will provide support towards drafting and implementation of victim identification screening and referral procedures. Community sensitization on human trafficking will be a key area of focus, with the view to build community capacities to lobby for the development and enforcement of appropriate policies towards the prevention of trafficking, improved identification of victims, increased support to survivors and ending impunity. Training for TIP stake-holders (police, community leaders, social workers, NGOs etc.) to identify trafficking victims, particularly among vulnerable groups such as children, individuals in commercial sex, and IDPs will be crucial to our programming. We shall also provide capacity building support to law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and judges – including officials serving on the GBV and Juvenile Courts – on the 2008 Child Act, 2008 Penal Code, and 2018 Labor Act. We shall further support government efforts to investigate and prosecute suspected traffickers, including complicit government officials. The review of the 2008 Penal Code will also be supported, or a comprehensive anti-trafficking legislation to criminalize adult sex trafficking, with stringent penalties commensurate to other grave crimes, such as rape. The government will also be supported to accede to the UN Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime and its TIP Protocol. We shall lobby the government to cease all unlawful recruitment or use of children by the army (and associated militias), and to immediately demobilize all child soldiers under the command or influence of government forces and affiliated militias, and provide adequate protection and reintegration support to demobilized child soldiers.

Our strategies for addressing human trafficking is centered on strengthening the legal framework, strengthening inter-ministerial coordination, improving victim identification and protection, support drafting an Anti-Trafficking in Persons Bill, and tackling child soldier recruitment and forced labor.