UN concerned about the absence of conducive environment for South Sudan’s Dec. 2024 elections.

Paul Samasumo – Vatican City. 

A report from the United Nations says that significant con­cerns exist not only about the country’s human rights si­tuation but also about the absence of critical conditions for the holding of free, fair, secure, and credible elections and about the absence of an enabling environment for civil society. 

Need for careful navigation by leaders

At the end of its twelfth visit to South Sudan, from 12 to 17 February 2024, the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan said the country’s leaders must carefully navigate the conclusion of the country’s political transition to achieve durable peace and prevent violence and gross human rights violations.

According to Yasmin Sooka, Chairperson of the Commission, investigations of the Commission indicated that there are processes under the 2018 Revitalised Agreement that are yet to be complete. 

“Establishing a unified national army and transitional justice processes to deal with the past and the root causes of the conflict is indispensable.” These key milestones are yet to be complete said the UN experts. 

Avoid return to conflict

Provisions under the 2018 Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (RARCSS), mediated by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and the African Union (AU), were the foundation stone for sustainable peace and human rights protection. It is not clear what will happen now that some of the key provisions required for peaceful elections and co-existence among citizens are sure to be missed. The Rights Commission suggest that international scrutiny of South Sudan’s transition remains vital.

“Our investigations have found that the violence and gross human rights violations continue with impunity, with women and children being the main target of these crimes. Critical security arrangements, and an independent justice system supported by constitutional processes provided under the Revitalised Agreement, are essential to avoid a return to conflict following elections,” the report reads.