FILE PHOTO: Lakes State Governor Lt. Gen. Rin Tueny (Courtesy)

The Governor of Lakes State says the only way to safeguard the future of young girls in South Sudan is to criminalize early and forced marriage.

Lt. Gen. Rin Tueny Mabor says he enacted the Lakes State Customary Law and Public Order Act, 2022, which makes early and forced marriage a crime to protect girls in the state.

Governor Rin made the remarks on Saturday at Radisson Blu during the thanksgiving celebration for the appointment of Adut Salva Kiir as Presidential Envoy on Special Programs.

“In Lakes State, I have enacted law, there is ‘Lakes State Customary and Public Order Act’ – forced marriage, and early marriage are punishable by law. So, we want to protect our women, girls, and our children because without women there will be no world,” he said.

The Lakes State Customary Law and Public Order Act, 2022, was launched in early 2023 by Governor Rin.

The launch was attended by members of the state transitional legislative assembly, civil society, women, youth, UNMISS human rights representatives, chiefs and government officials, as well as members of the organized forces and law enforcement agencies in the state.