Given the decision taken by the UN Human Rights Council to renew the mandate of the South Sudan Human Rights CommissionTigere Chagutah, Amnesty International’s Acting Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa, said:
“With the decision to renew the South Sudan Human Rights Commission, the Human Rights Council signals the importance of accountability as South Sudan enters the expanded phase of the revitalized peace agreement, from 2018. The impunity pervasive in South Sudan perpetuates cycles of violence. In this context, the Commission on Human Rights plays an invaluable role in collecting and preserving evidence of crimes under international law, which can be used for future prosecutions.”
“In South Sudan, the population is still living with the armed conflict and faces attacks, unlawful killings, displacement and rape on a regular basis.”
“Many people also suffer limited access to water, food and basic medical care, partly due to high levels of insecurity.”
“Human rights concerns that led to the creation of the South Sudan Human Rights Commission in 2016 persist, with the government doing very little to ensure that scrutiny of the Council can be lifted. We deeply regret the attempts by some States, including the Government of South Sudan, to prevent the renewal of this essential mechanism.”
“South Sudan must urgently improve its human rights situation by holding perpetrators of war crimes and other violations of humanitarian law to account. The country must also cooperate fully in the important work being carried out by the South Sudan Human Rights Commission.”
Additional information
In March 2016, the UN Human Rights Council established the South Sudan Human Rights Commission and asked it to “determine and denounce the facts and circumstances of the alleged violations and gross violations of human rights and related crimes , including sexual and gender-based violence, to collect and preserve relevant evidence and clarify responsibilities in this regard to end impunity and ensure accountability” and “make such information available to all justice mechanisms in transition.”
In addition, the Commission also has the important task of providing technical assistance to the South Sudanese government to establish a holistic transitional justice program enshrined in the 2015 and 2018 peace agreements.
Since 2016, the resolution renewing the Commission had been adopted by consensus, but in March 2021 South Sudan rejected the renewal of the mechanism.
This year, the resolution has been approved with 19 votes in favour, 9 against and 19 abstentions.