
Report by Emmanuel. M Garjiek
The UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan released a 19-minute video [https://youtu.be/QHpHc_CCxX0] report on Sunday that depicts the country’s continued egregious violence and serious human rights violations, fueled by widespread impunity, leaving traumatized South Sudanese waiting for justice and accountability.
The report marks the 11th anniversary of the onset of civil conflict in South Sudan, which began in mid-December 2013.
The video, titled “The Unrelenting Cycle of Violence in South Sudan,” uses victims’ accounts to show the pain, suffering, and damage that the violent conflict and brutal violations have inflicted on individuals, families, and communities, tearing apart the very fabric of South Sudanese society.
According to the UN Commission, the report emphasizes the importance of comprehensive transitional justice processes that include criminal accountability, truth-telling, reparations, and transformative institutional reforms in order to prevent future violence and violations and break the cycle of violence.
“A comprehensive transitional justice program signals a shift in values dominant in a society – from an environment in which there is mistrust and no one feels safe if they belong to a targeted group, including civil society and those who speak out or dissent from a government narrative to a society that enjoys sustainable peace built on a system of values and a culture of human rights in which the rule of law is respected and citizens trust the state to be a “Guarantor of their rights,” the statement says. “There is no secret recipe for making this happen, and it typically takes decades, especially in strongly split nations where pain and mistrust dominate public opinion. The video study also shows how repression has grown established, with an overpowering National Security Service limiting civic and political space.
“It is sad to observe how entrenched and cyclical the violence has become owing to the refusal to bring the offenders accountable, particularly those recognized by the commission as having leadership.
Yasmin Sooka, Chair of the Commission, stated, “Pervasive impunity has pushed individuals to perpetrate horrible atrocities because they have no fear of repercussions. South Sudanese citizens have one clear demand: justice and restitution for their suffering. They’ve waited much too long.
The report describes how, despite several peace-making efforts, including the 2015 Peace Agreement and the 2018 Revitalized Agreement, the country remains mired in politically motivated violence, ethnic strife, predation in which elites profit from widespread violence, and human rights violations, including massacres, horrific sexual violence, extrajudicial killings, abductions, sexual slavery, exploitation, and abuse, and emphasizes the need for immediate action.
According to Commissioner Barney Afako, thousands of South Sudanese continue to dread violence, relocation, and death, while those responsible for their plight remain at large or in positions of power.
“The enactment of legislation to establish the Commission for Truth, Reconciliation and Healing, as well as the Compensation and Reparation Authority, must now be followed by urgent implementation,” according to him. “Authorities must also engage the African Union to complete the process of creating the Hybrid Court, and the game of shifting blame for failure to act on establishing this court must now cease. Peace and reconciliation would be difficult to achieve without a true commitment to responsibility.”
The video documentary demonstrates that without national leaders’ commitment to peace and justice, South Sudan would struggle to recover from the effects and legacies of the December 2013 violence.
According to Commissioner Carlos Castresana Fernandez, the human cost of the fighting in South Sudan is enormous.
“For the victims and survivors, a lack of accountability remains one of the most significant barriers to peace.” He said that failing to eradicate impunity is a failure of government and leadership. “The situation will not improve until there is a robust, independent national system of justice to address the crimes committed against the South Sudanese people and in this regard, the Government should urgently implement the extensive recommendations of the Judicial Reform Committee.”
Commissioner Castresana went on to say, “There will be no peace without deterrence for criminals.”
According to the Commission, the violence that began in December 2013 has persisted in many expressions across the country, taking a devastating toll on civilians: hundreds of thousands have died, millions have been displaced, and the country’s social fabric has been shattered. Peace will remain elusive unless the core causes of the conflict are addressed, which include governance, political, and economic issues.
“On this most somber of anniversaries, this sobering video report illustrates the high cost of the failure by national leaders to protect their citizens, particularly including women and girls, to manage plurality and cultivate a culture of accountability and respect for the dignity and human rights of the South Sudanese people,” a statement read. “Among other things, leaders must renew and redirect efforts and resources towards establishing holistic transitional justice processes and rooting out the pervasive impunity that has blighted the lives of South Sudanese.”