Juba — South Sudan has launched an 18-member committee for prevention and punishment of crimes against humanity, genocide and all other forms of human discrimination. The committee was inaugurated yesterday before dignitaries from United Nations and the international great lakes region who are among the main stakeholders of this exercise.

This exercise is one of the necessities of the great lakes region in which south Sudan is member number twelve. Out of the twelve member body south Sudan with this development is number five to establish such a body to prepare itself to face challenges that may arise from conflicts such as like what happen in Kenya and racial issue such as the one of Rwanda in 1994.

The inauguration was witness by members from the great lakes region, United Nations, international friends and government institutions, which are directly connected to the exercised.

Addressing the gathering, the minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Dr. Barnaba Marial Benjamin advice the committee to stay away from politics and rather engage in addressing the challenge of human discrimination. He called on the international friends to join hands with the government in a fight against racial and human discrimination in south Sudan.

The minister for Defense and Veteran Affairs, Hon. Kuol Manyang Juuk commend the new body and urged them to alert government to help address such concern.

UN special advisor on genocide prevention, Castro Wasama and the Deputy Executive Secretary of the International great lakes region said event was a very important one in the region that address human interest. He called on the member governments to take it as a priority to see peace in the region. He challenged the committee to work with the grass roots to diagnose and understand the problems that may arise in the course of executing their mandate.