Children born of CRSV are direct victims and survivors in South Sudan
- Laetizia Pietrini
- 3 minutes ago
- 5 min read
On Monday 21 July 2025, survivor representatives of the SUNS network gathered in Juba and presented a statement to officials, UN agencies and donors on key issues regarding the rights of children born of conflict-related sexual violence and their right to reparation as part of South Sudan’s transitional justice process.
After several years supporting the transitional justice process enshrined in Chapter V of South Sudan's 2018 Peace Agreement, two laws establishing the Commission for Truth, Reconciliation and Healing (CTRH) and the Compensation and Reparation Authority (CRA) came into force on 11 November 2024.
The Centre for Inclusive Governance, Peace and Justice (CIGPJ) and Rights for Peace, along with SUNS, the Survivors Network South Sudan, with the support of the Global Survivors' Fund advocated to ensure that the two new mechanisms include progressive provisions that enhance survivors' right to reparation. At this meeting, the focus was on the rights of children born of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) - an issue repeatedly raised by survivor-advocates.
Lothar Jaschke, Deputy Head of the European Delegation to South Sudan welcomed the gathering to the EU Hall in Juba, with an address emphasizing that children born of conflict-related sexual violence must be explicitly recognized in transitional justice process and reparation programs.
The event, moderated by Jackline Nasiwa, the executive director of CIGPJ, brought together key stakeholders, including representatives from UNMISS, UNDP, UNHRC, WAR CHILD International, UNICEF, CSOs, representatives from the specialised committees in parliament, including Gender, Peace and Reconciliation and the Agriculture committees.
Mary Malala Mijok, the national coordinator of SUNS read the survivors’ recommendations to the assembled policymakers, which was followed by a discussion centered on implementing the survivors' recommendations and ensuring these children's rights are recognized in national frameworks.
Children born of CRSV often face a unique set of challenges due to the profound and enduring physical, psychological and socio-economic impacts that CRSV has on their mothers. Often rejected by both maternal and paternal families, they suffer from identity loss, lack of legal recognition, systemic exclusion, neglect and abuse. Survivors who are mothers often struggle with the dual burden of trauma and the stigma projected onto their children.
A particular issue that is raised repeatedly by survivors of CRSV in South Sudan is the need to revise laws around civil registration that require the name of the father to be entered. The inability to comply with the requirement is not only a barrier for children born of CRSV to access basic services, including education, compounding existing stigma but also denies them the right to citizenship and nationality.
All children are born free and equal. Some are heavily burdened from the very start. Let us give them their first chance — the chance to live with dignity, free from the weight of a war they did not choose.
Mr. Jaschke urged the government to quickly operationalise existing justice bodies, establish a Hybrid Court, and ensure that reparation programs recognise these children as direct victims entitled to child-sensitive and dignity-focused support.
While recent jurisprudence from the International Criminal Court (ICC) recognises children born of CRSV as direct victims of international crimes with specific vulnerabilities and needs, there are no specific provisions to address the specific issues faced by children born of CRSV in existing national laws, including the Child Act of 2008.
The advocacy event was preceded by a 2-day workshop where survivors discussed issues concerning the rights of children born of CRSV, which led to the production of their statement.
The survivors' statement articulates six critical challenges facing mothers and children born of CRSV.
First, they describe ‘harmful and social and cultural practices resulting in abandonment and rejection of mothers and children born of CRSV by their families.’ Second, the critical need for psychosocial support, including best practice support on answering this identity question: 'who is my father?’ Third, systemic discrimination throughout life: ‘starting with shelter, birth registration, through to accessing education and health.’ Fourth, unequal access to education (at the family level) and persistent bullying. Fifth, they noted that "health services stigmatise mothers and are not holistic." Lastly, economic vulnerability preventing access to shelter and school fees.
Workshop held on 18-19 July 2025, survivors crafting their statement
Siodonia Achan, from Global Survivors' Fund (GSF) opened the discussion at the national event by thanking all participating parties and insisting that it takes many organizations to make change happen.
Dr. Ghada James, Chairperson of the Agriculture Committee (NTLA) then spoke with urgency about the gap between policy and public awareness:
Dissemination of those laws is still lacking – Gazetting of the laws is needed. We need a wide dissemination of those laws.
Hon. Ishaq Elias Ibrahim, Deputy Chairperson of the Gender Committee, highlighted the importance of names, identity, and children’s rights. He questioned whether the law’s requirement of a father’s name was always necessary, pointing out that in Uganda laws had changed in 2015. He stressed the importance of speaking to children in ways they can understand and protecting them from harm:
Every child has the right to be free and not abused.
Officials must take responsibility for all gender and children’s issues.
Budgetary support for children’s welfare is essential.
Hon. William Obony Olang, Deputy Chair of the Peace and Reconciliation Committee, drew a stark contrast between South Sudan’s history and its current situation:
Without security, people can not thrive. Let us put the guns down.
Eva Lotte De Boer, UNMISS Women Protection Adviser reflected on the year’s theme for the International Day for the Elimination of CRSV — Breaking the Cycles, Healing the Wounds. She underlined the need for survivor-centered approaches and for policies shaped by the lived experiences of survivors.
Mariana Goetz, Director of Rights for Peace, thanked all partners for coming to events like this and showing unity in a time where it is much needed. She noted that victimisation has many dimensions — physical, psychological, social, economic, and educational — and that reparations must address past, present, and future harms through a holistic, multi-stakeholder approach. She challenged SUNS and NoSSSU members to find ways of changing discriminatory attitudes, behaviours, and laws without stigmatising children or re-victimising mothers, stressing that children born of CRSV have specific rights as direct victims.
The National event held in the EU Hall in Juba
We would like to thank the EU Representation in Juba for their support as well as the Global Survivors Fund.
View the Commission for Truth, Reconciliation and Healing Act 2024 and the Compensation and Reparation Authority Act 2024
Our advocacy and technical support is implemented as part of the Global Survivors Fund project “Supporting Survivors’ Empowerment through Advocacy and Interim Reparative Measures.”
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