Thank you, Chair, and thank you, Mr. Odwar, and Ms. Gai. Thank you very much for coming before the committee today. Human rights abuses are horrendous wherever they occur and Canada remains committed to the peace process around the globe and standing up for the human rights of the oppressed. The civil war in Sudan has seen unfortunate atrocities and your testimony has shed light on the situation on the ground.
Mr. Odwar, you stated this past November when you joined the Sudan People's Liberation Army in opposition that foreign troops should withdraw from South Sudan and return to their respective countries to protect their own people instead of the Sudanese. However, as the UN peacekeeping troops leave, up to 4,000 in recent months, violence has grown worse. The BBC, for example, reports the rape of almost 200 women and children last October. Based on this account, do you continue to stand by your previous statement and if so, what is South Sudan doing to protect its people from harm?