Africa ( Commonwealth Union ) _ According to the UN Committee on Human Rights in South Sudan, impunity plays a significant role in the human rights and humanitarian crises that continue to have a devastating impact on the country’s civilian population.Dismissing the accountable authorities and launching investigations would be a true manifestation of the Government’s stated commitment to peace and human rights.
The report identifies widespread attacks against civilians, routine sexual violence against women and girls, the continued involvement of children in fighting forces, and State-sponsored extrajudicial killings based on investigations conducted in South Sudan and the surrounding region throughout 2022.
Assaults against civilians
Attacks against civilians continue because of the culprits’ certainty that they will go unpunished, he claimed. According to the findings of the report, there are several instances when State actors are the main perpetrators of major crimes that are against South Sudanese law as well as international law. Armed members of non-State groups have also carried out violent acts in various hotspots of conflict.
The UN Commission was established in 2016 with the goal of putting an end to impunity and establishing accountability for alleged serious violations and abuses of human rights, as well as crimes that are related to them, such as ethnic, sexual, and gender-based violence. Its three members are required to gather and preserve evidence, establish accountability for suspected violations, and assess the facts and circumstances of rights abuse.
Systemic rape and sexual assault
Mr. Clapham stated, “We have been documenting human rights abuses in South Sudan for many years, and we continue to be outraged by the continued violence, particularly horrendous sexual violence, targeting civilians and committed by members of the armed forces, other militias, and armed organizations. He recalled that during a recent visit, Commission members had the opportunity to speak with brave survivors who had experienced trauma, loss, and starvation. Several people told us they are disillusioned and losing hope as a result of the ongoing cycles of violence and instability, he said.
A crucial juncture
According to Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, “the world’s youngest nation stands at a crossroads, but the Government has the opportunity to select a path of healing and sustainable peace with the cooperation of the international community. It is crucial to improve civic space and accountability. He described the current victim count as “staggering”. 3 469 citizens were the victims of 714 violent events in 2022, according to the Human Rights Division. There were 1,600 fatalities, 988 injuries, and 501 kidnappings.
Conflict and confrontations around the nation are leading to a number of documented human rights violations and atrocities against its people, despite appeals for a ceasefire and the execution of the Peace Accord.
He urged the Government to uphold its obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law, including by protecting civilians from attack and ensuring accountability for violations, saying that generations of South Sudanese had endured lives of fear, extreme violence, and protracted instability.
