A recent report from the UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan reveals a grim reality: the nation’s political leadership has failed its citizens by fostering a culture of impunity and corruption, resulting in severe human rights violations. This document illustrates a continuous cycle of violence, repression, and poor economic governance, stressing the urgent need for comprehensive reforms to avert further degeneration of both the political landscape and humanitarian conditions in South Sudan.
In September 2024, the transitional government’s mandate was extended for two more years due to financial constraints and a slow roll-out of provisions from the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement. Despite accruing approximately USD $3.5 billion in government revenue from oil exports between September 2022 and August 2024, essential services like courts, hospitals, and schools remain neglected. Civil servants endure unpaid salaries, highlighting the government’s systemic failures.
“Such an extension should not serve as a pretext for further delays in reforms,” emphasised Commissioner Barney Afako. He pointed out that habitual violations of human rights recur in the same regions, often involving the same officials, warning that without genuine intervention, violence and impunity will perpetuate ad infinitum.
The report exposes the troubling impact of the ‘Green Book’ law in Warrap State, which legitimatizes extrajudicial killings for offences like cattle raiding and community violence. This law exacerbates lawlessness, igniting cycles of vengeance while disproportionately affecting specific ethnic groups. Disturbingly, many victims, including innocent children, have faced detention without trial and execution, with judicial oversight effectively nonexistent as there is only one judge for the entire state.
Systematic sexual violence linked to conflict remains alarmingly prevalent, especially in Tambura, where armed forces and militias inflict brutal atrocities. Women and girls are subjected to gang rapes, mutilation, forced marriages, and sexual slavery, while survivors struggle to access medical care and legal aid. With many fearing stigma and retaliation, too few incidents are reported, allowing perpetrators to thrive within the existing power structures.
South Sudan is grappling with unprecedented corruption, leading to a catastrophic humanitarian crisis. Over 2 million individuals are internally displaced, and 2.28 million have sought refuge in neighbouring countries. Widespread hunger plagues half the population, exacerbated by economic collapse and insecurity. Humanitarian organisations face hurdles such as bureaucratic impediments, funding shortages, and violent assaults against aid workers; in 2024 alone, 198 such incidents were documented.
The UN Commission calls for urgent measures, including the comprehensive enactment of the Revitalized Peace Agreement, prosecution of human rights abusers, abolishment of the Green Book law, the cessation of child soldier recruitment, and fortifying institutions to combat corruption and uphold justice. Without significant reforms in governance, South Sudan risks being ensnared in relentless turmoil and oppression.
The UN Commission on Human Rights reports that South Sudan’s leaders exacerbate the human rights crisis through corrupt practices and impunity. With a mandate extension without reform, the situation grows dire as violence, lawlessness, and systematic sexual violence become rampant. Urgent calls for the implementation of peace agreements and eradication of oppressive laws are vital to prevent further suffering in the nation.
In summary, the UN report paints a concerning picture of a nation trapped in a cycle of human rights violations, corruption, and impunity. Urgent reforms are essential to mitigate the inflicted harm to its citizens and to restore stability. The call for accountability and systemic changes becomes ever more critical as the country struggles under the weight of its own governance failures. Without decisive action, South Sudan’s grim narrative of suffering and mismanagement will tragically continue.
Original Source: www.jurist.org
