News
Rights body demands sanctions, arms embargo on S. Sudan
December 6, 2014 (JUBA) – The United Nations, African Union and Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) should implement targeted sanctions in the event of resumption of fighting between South Sudan’s warring factions, the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) said in a new report.
Such sanctions, it stressed, should include an arms embargo on the young nation.
The report, entitled, South Sudan: “We fear the worst”, raises concern over risk of a resumption of conflict in the coming weeks, based on series of interviews conducted.
“In a context where both parties continue to denounce respective attacks against their forces, fears were expressed over the option for a military rather than political and structural solution to the conflict,” partly reads the 32-page report.
Established in 1922, FIDH currently unites 178 member organisations in more than 100 countries around the world, coordinating and supporting their activities by providing them with a voice at the international level.
Human rights groups have documented the use of weapons by both parties to commit war crimes and crimes against humanity. In September, over 30 South Sudanese and international organisations petitioned IGAD, calling for immediate and comprehensive arms embargo on South Sudan to prevent human rights abuses.
Tens of thousands of people have been killed and millions displaced since violence pitting president Salva Kiir and his former deputy, Riek Machar broke out late last year.
JUSTICE MECHANISMS
According to FIDH, several cases of human rights violations were documented since December last year, acknowledging efforts by South Sudanese authorities to investigate these crimes committed.
“Since the outbreak of the conflict, FIDH called upon the establishment of mechanisms of justice aimed at ensuring that those responsible for serious crimes are held into account, that victims get justice and aimed at deterring further crimes,” it stated.
The report says South Sudan Human Rights Commission (SSHRC) investigated the human rights violations committed during the conflict and in its March report, SSHRC said “the recent conflict has resulted in major setbacks in the areas of human rights protection and respect for fundamental rights such as the right to life”.
“Notable atrocities that have been committed on a wide scale include extra-judicial killing, arbitrary arrests in some areas, rape associated with persons in uniform is on the rise, culture of impunity is widespread on account of the conflict situation, recruitment of people including children (notably White Army) into the fighting forces by both government and the rebels are in progress”, it adds.
MEDIA THREATS
SSHRC also highlighted the scale down in media freedoms and freedom of speech during the conflict, citing several cases of journalists and editors being arrested, harassed or threatened.
FIDH also faults South Sudan’s justice systems for its incapability to investigate crimes committed, in addition to providing justice to victims.
“This apparent gap in the court system has been occupied by the role of traditional leaders,” partly reads the report.
Meanwhile, FIDH urged South Sudan’s warring parties to respect the cessation of hostilities agreement they signed in January this year and recommitted to in May.
Peace talks between the two rivals mediated by IGAD have stalled, amid threats of sanctions from the international community, the mediators and the African Union.
BLEAK SITUATION
Last week, the United Nations assistance secretary general for humanitarian affairs, Kyung-Wha Kang, described as “bleak” the humanitarian situation in South Sudan and demanded more donor support.
Kang told reporters in New York on Thursday that numbers of severely food insecure people was likely to reach 2.5 million early next year.
“While the leaders of both sides continue to talk and negotiate peace, millions of South Sudanese are suffering,” she remarked.
Over 100,000 people have sought refuge in UN bases across the country for fear of their lives or after being attacked from homes.
Millions more have reportedly fled into the bush and remain too fearful to return home as the violence conflict rages on to-date.
ACTIVISTS WELCOME CALL
A South Sudanese civil society entity has welcomed FIDH’s call for both sanctions and arms embargo, stressing that its citizens were tired of the country’s ongoing violence.
“The ball for making South Sudan’s independence a blessing or curse for South Sudanese is resting on the hands of the warring parties in the next round of the negotiations,” Edmund Yakani, the executive director for Community Empowerment for Progress Organisation (CEPO) told Sudan Tribune Monday.
(ST).
THE FIDH REPORT ON SOUTH SUDAN
Such sanctions, it stressed, should include an arms embargo on the young nation.
The report, entitled, South Sudan: “We fear the worst”, raises concern over risk of a resumption of conflict in the coming weeks, based on series of interviews conducted.
“In a context where both parties continue to denounce respective attacks against their forces, fears were expressed over the option for a military rather than political and structural solution to the conflict,” partly reads the 32-page report.
Established in 1922, FIDH currently unites 178 member organisations in more than 100 countries around the world, coordinating and supporting their activities by providing them with a voice at the international level.
Human rights groups have documented the use of weapons by both parties to commit war crimes and crimes against humanity. In September, over 30 South Sudanese and international organisations petitioned IGAD, calling for immediate and comprehensive arms embargo on South Sudan to prevent human rights abuses.
Tens of thousands of people have been killed and millions displaced since violence pitting president Salva Kiir and his former deputy, Riek Machar broke out late last year.
JUSTICE MECHANISMS
According to FIDH, several cases of human rights violations were documented since December last year, acknowledging efforts by South Sudanese authorities to investigate these crimes committed.
“Since the outbreak of the conflict, FIDH called upon the establishment of mechanisms of justice aimed at ensuring that those responsible for serious crimes are held into account, that victims get justice and aimed at deterring further crimes,” it stated.
The report says South Sudan Human Rights Commission (SSHRC) investigated the human rights violations committed during the conflict and in its March report, SSHRC said “the recent conflict has resulted in major setbacks in the areas of human rights protection and respect for fundamental rights such as the right to life”.
“Notable atrocities that have been committed on a wide scale include extra-judicial killing, arbitrary arrests in some areas, rape associated with persons in uniform is on the rise, culture of impunity is widespread on account of the conflict situation, recruitment of people including children (notably White Army) into the fighting forces by both government and the rebels are in progress”, it adds.
MEDIA THREATS
SSHRC also highlighted the scale down in media freedoms and freedom of speech during the conflict, citing several cases of journalists and editors being arrested, harassed or threatened.
FIDH also faults South Sudan’s justice systems for its incapability to investigate crimes committed, in addition to providing justice to victims.
“This apparent gap in the court system has been occupied by the role of traditional leaders,” partly reads the report.
Meanwhile, FIDH urged South Sudan’s warring parties to respect the cessation of hostilities agreement they signed in January this year and recommitted to in May.
Peace talks between the two rivals mediated by IGAD have stalled, amid threats of sanctions from the international community, the mediators and the African Union.
BLEAK SITUATION
Last week, the United Nations assistance secretary general for humanitarian affairs, Kyung-Wha Kang, described as “bleak” the humanitarian situation in South Sudan and demanded more donor support.
Kang told reporters in New York on Thursday that numbers of severely food insecure people was likely to reach 2.5 million early next year.
“While the leaders of both sides continue to talk and negotiate peace, millions of South Sudanese are suffering,” she remarked.
Over 100,000 people have sought refuge in UN bases across the country for fear of their lives or after being attacked from homes.
Millions more have reportedly fled into the bush and remain too fearful to return home as the violence conflict rages on to-date.
ACTIVISTS WELCOME CALL
A South Sudanese civil society entity has welcomed FIDH’s call for both sanctions and arms embargo, stressing that its citizens were tired of the country’s ongoing violence.
“The ball for making South Sudan’s independence a blessing or curse for South Sudanese is resting on the hands of the warring parties in the next round of the negotiations,” Edmund Yakani, the executive director for Community Empowerment for Progress Organisation (CEPO) told Sudan Tribune Monday.
(ST).
THE FIDH REPORT ON SOUTH SUDAN