By Deng Ghai Deng
Amnesty International has called for intensified scrutiny of South Sudan’s human rights situation, emphasizing that technical assistance alone is insufficient to address the ongoing violations.
In a statement delivered at the UN Human Rights Council, on Monday Amnesty International said the government has repeatedly failed to meet its commitments to addressing rights violations.
It said South Sudan needs more than just technical assistance but needs accountability and sustained international scrutiny to ensure the protection of human rights.
“The current state of human rights in South Sudan requires greater scrutiny,” Amnesty International stated. “In September, the government again broke its promises with yet another extension of the transitional period. Clear benchmarks, including those required to protect human rights, remain outstanding,” it added.
For over a decade, Amnesty International has documented the oppression and silencing of government critics, human rights activists, and journalists, primarily by the National Security Service (NSS).
Despite repeated calls for the removal of the NSS’s unconstitutional powers of arrest and detention, a recent bill maintaining these powers was allowed to become law in August.
“For over a decade, suspects of crimes under international law have been emboldened by the lack of judicial accountability and promoted to higher ranks by the government whilst survivors have been left without redress,” the statement continued.
“Next year will mark a decade that the government and the African Union will have failed to meet their commitment to establish the hybrid court for South Sudan.”
Amnesty International underscored the central obstacle to improving human rights in South Sudan as the government’s lack of political will saying technical assistance processes are by themselves futile.
The statement concluded with a call to action urging states to go beyond supporting mere technical assistance and to take a comprehensive approach by extending and strengthening the mandate of the Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan when it comes up for renewal.