The UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan raised concerns after completing a four-day fact-finding mission, the Commission’s 14th visit in a decade.
Investigators said renewed violence, political tensions, shrinking civic space, corruption and persistent impunity were threatening civilians and South Sudan’s transition to democracy.
Commission Chairperson Yasmin Sooka visited Jonglei state and met survivors of recent fighting. Survivors reported killings, displacement, family separation and a lack of medical, psychosocial and other essential services. “Visit after visit, we continue to hear from people who bear the consequences of violence, displacement, insecurity and the failures of those with political and security responsibilities to prevent and address those harms,” Sooka said.
“The patterns have changed little, while the human cost continues to grow. South Sudanese people deserve better than to have their lives shaped by recurring cycles of violence and uncertainty.”
The Commission also raised concern about attacks on civilians, disruption of humanitarian operations and growing insecurity for aid workers.
Investigators called for an inquiry into a recent attack on a UN Mission in South Sudan patrol in Jonglei that killed two peacekeepers and injured others.
The warning comes as South Sudan prepares for elections scheduled for December, the first since independence in July 2011.
Commissioner Barney Afako said implementation of the 2018 Revitalised Peace Agreement had stalled, while safeguards required for peaceful elections remained absent. “Even as the country heads for elections, political and civic space has narrowed, while many of the safeguards and conditions for peaceful and credible polls are still missing,” Afako said.
“South Sudanese do have a right to vote. That right must be protected by ensuring they can participate freely, compete fairly and resolve any electoral disputes through credible adjudication.”
Afako warned that those protections were necessary to prevent elections from becoming “a trigger for violence and disruption”.
The Commission called for inclusive dialogue involving political groups, civil society organisations, women and young people.
Investigators also said entrenched corruption and diversion of public resources continued to undermine human rights, peace and security. “All these years, the Commission has documented serious violations and identified the same underlying problem: impunity,” Commissioner Carlos Castresana Fernández said.
“Too often, those responsible for grave abuses have not been held accountable, while institutions responsible for justice remain weak and under-resourced.”
–UN/ChannelAfrica–
