![A Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) commander dons the new insignia of the 4th Division petroleum defense unit in Bentiu, Unity State, South Sudan on Friday, May 11, 2012. [Photo by Peter Muller/AP Photo]](https://i0.wp.com/www.sudanspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/D7981C49-6929-4ED1-ADF4-4F59F30D0A15-scaled.jpg?ssl=1)
JUBA – A South Sudan army commander of high rank has kidnapped a 22-year-old school girl in Northern Bahr el Ghazal state’s capital Aweil after the girl, as well as her family, refused to marry her, according to two close relatives.
One family member who refused to be named told Sudans Post in a phone call this morning that General Hakim Hadim, 62, had approached the family more than two months go to request their daughter, but was told by the family to first reach an understanding with the girl if he was to marry her.
“It is now two months a some weeks that General Hakim Hadim came to the family to request our daughter and he was told to return in three days’ time. The daughter was asked by the family but he rejected and he was right because he is a very old man and our daughter is studying at secondary school,” the family member who refused to be named said.
“When he returned, he was told that the family has no problem marry off their daughter to him but we told him that the daughter has refused to marry him and if he succeed in convincing the daughter to marry him, we don’t have any problem we will agree,” the family member added.
Another family member confirmed on condition of anonymity the issue and said instead for General Hakim to approach the girl in a ‘good’ manner, he instead kidnapped her and locked her up in a compound guarded by his bodyguards and travelled to Kampala.
“Now he complicated everything and he has kidnapped our girl and we cannot call it elopement because this is kidnapping in all it’s forms and we condemn this unwelcome acts by the army member,” the family member said.
“He has now locked her up and travelled to Kampala las if she is a goat. We call on the government to interfere and bring this man to book,” the family member further concluded.
That’s not fair on the rights of our female youngsters.
Their rights to choose life partner here is denied. Her right to education, exploration of her talents and realization of her potential is jeopardized. This deplorable deprivation is painful.
Sexual exploitation and Abuse is real in our country.
Excessive use of force and authorities on our innocent civilians is remarkable and must be addressed.
Abuse of power and resources has become a means to achieve sexual gratifications by some top leaders of this nation.
Fulfilment of our desires shouldn’t be on the expenses of other’s will and desires.