Don Bosco Vocational Training Center to host life changing training programs for Youth and Ex-combatants from Wau and Jur River Counties

March 18, 2024

The Government of France, UNDP, UNMISS and the South Sudan DDR Commission have recently facilitated the induction ceremony of 50 ex-combatants, and 50 community youth set to receive life skills training and start-up kits as part of the pilot implementation of the French funded Community Violence Reduction Project in Western Bharl El Ghazal.

From 14 – 16 March 2024, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), France CVR Specialist, the South Sudan Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration Commission (DDRC), and Solidarity Ministries Africa for Reconciliation and Development engaged 33 ex-combatants and 60 community youth from Wau and Jur River Counties on a three day induction session to prepare them for a three month (March-June 2024) life skills training on computer skills, art and graphic design, catering services, masonry, electrical engineering, welding, general automobile serving, tailoring, carpentry and driving at Don Bosco Vocational Training Centre in Wau Town.

The aim of the CVR project in Western Bharl El Gazal is to directly work with target communities that receives returning ex-combatants and find solutions to armed violence. At the end of the vocational life skills training, 100 CVR beneficiaries 50 ex-combatants and 50 community youth at risk will be provided with start-up kits, to aid their reintegration so far, the group has registered 32 females out of 100 beneficiaries ensuring gender equity in these trainings.

In the context of South Sudan, the R-ARCSS specifies the need for ‘’Disarmament, Demobilization and Re-integration of persons with special needs that are ineligible, or not willing to serve in the proposed unified army (R-ARCISS Article 2.4.10). Whilst this process has been delayed, some training and unification of forces have been conducted in Western Bahr El Ghazal State.

In order to foster effective transition of these ex-combatants, and to bridge the gap between demobilization and re-integration; the DDRC, UNDP, UNMISS, Communities, CSOs and partners with support from France, proposed a one year 6months Pilot CVR Project in Western Bahr el Ghazal State intended to bridge DDR response gap within the transitional period, in support of peace consolidation, and to further anchor DDR efforts into the prevention of cycle of violence, and sub-national conflict mitigation efforts.

The pilot CVR Project in Wau will also provide reintegration support through life skills training, which addresses the most immediate needs of ex-combatants. This CVR life skills training will foster economic integration, which is the final requirement for any future DDR program to be successful and sustainable in the long term.

If successful, the CVR project may proffer valuable lessons to the NDDRC for replication to other states, as a disarmament tool, to complement the yet-to-start holistic DDR process in South Sudan.