Trafficking in Persons in South Sudan: Prevalence, Challenges and Responses - Research Brief: Findings and Recommendations

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FOREWORD

The Government of South Sudan, through its newly established Technical Taskforce to Counter Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants (hereinafter the Task Force), together with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), recently undertook an assessment on Trafficking in Persons (TIP) in South Sudan. The aim of the TIP assessment was to better understand the nature, prevalence, current responses and challenges to addressing TIP in South Sudan, and to provide recommendations to support improved evidence-based counter-trafficking responses moving forward and to promote humane and orderly migration. The Taskforce is mandated through Ministerial Order No. 34/2019 issued by the Minister of Interior in December 2019 following the recommendations of the National Aliens Committee (NAC) through South Sudan’s Comprehensive Migration Policy for the Government to conduct an in-depth study of human trafficking in the country.

The report “Trafficking in Persons in South Sudan: Prevalence, Responses and Challenges” analyzes the nature of trafficking in persons in the country, its forms, challenges and the legal gaps in the present legal framework in South Sudan. It provides recommendations that the Technical Taskforce and its partners are set to address. TIP is a heinous crime that exploits human beings. It comes in many forms, including forced labor, forced marriages, sexual exploitation and domestic servitude among others. It’s in this report that the nation gets to know what TIP is in South Sudan. The report highlights that the current TIP provisions in the national legal frameworks are inadequate to provide a deterrence to perpetrators, including aggravating punishments to traffickers themselves. The Government of South Sudan recognizes this as the main challenge to combat TIP in the country. The report recommends major reforms to its key government institutions and avenues to build a firm foundation to combat TIP in the country, in line with the regional and international frameworks. Currently, South Sudan does not have provisions that are commensurate to the UN Protocol to Prevent, Punish and Suppress Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children, supplementing the United Nations Conventions against Transnational Organize Crimes and its Protocol.This report provides evidence-based recommendations for South Sudan to strengthen its national TIP response through the following key measures; 1) Develop a comprehensive TIP response that aims at prevention, prosecution, partnership and protection of victims of TIP; 2) Strengthen a whole-of-government response to address the serious crimes of TIP and migrant smuggling; 3) Accede to the UN Protocol to Prevent, Punish and Suppress Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children, supplementing the United Nations Conventions against Transnational Organize Crimes and its Protocol; and 4) develop a national legal framework that is in line to international and regional legal frameworks.

Making this report available to public, with the support of IOM and the Government of United Kingdom, Department for International Development (DFID) is one of the first key achievements for the Taskforce. The Government of South Sudan realizes that responding to TIP in South Sudan requires partnerships with multiple stakeholders, thereby the Government welcomes the support from all the stakeholders to combat trafficking in persons in South Sudan together.

Maj. Gen. Nyang Thiciot DakLead Co-chair, ImmigrationTaskforce, Counter Trafficking in Persons

Senior Legal Consul. Sabri Wani LaduCo-chair, Ministry of JusticeTaskforce, Counter Trafficking in Persons

Hon. Gen. Majak Akec MalokInspector General of Police (IGP)Chair of National Aliens Committee/National Coordination Mechanism on MigrationMinistry of InteriorRepublic of South Sudan