Human Rights Council appoints members to monitor S. Sudan
June 14, 2016 (JUBA) – The United Nations Human Right Council (UNHRC) has selected a three-member committee to monitor human rights violations in South Sudan and aid the process of transitional justice, healing and reconciliation.
Sooka will serve as Chair of the three-person commission. She is a human right lawyer who served on South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission from 1994 to 2001.
The Council decided to establish, for a period of a year, the Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan at its 31st session on 23 March 2016, to monitor and report on the situation of human rights in South Sudan and make recommendations for improvement.
Through Human Rights Council resolution 31/20 on the situation of human rights in South Sudan, which was adopted by consensus, the 47-member body mandated the three-person Commission to assess the human rights situation in the country since December 2013, in order to establish facts in support of transitional justice, accountability, reconciliation and healing.
The Commissioners, who will serve in their personal capacities, will provide guidance to the Government of South Sudan on transitional justice, accountability and reconciliation issues and will engage with international and regional mechanisms to promote accountability for human rights violations and abuses.
The commission is scheduled to present a comprehensive written report to the Human Rights Council at its 34th regular session, in March 2017.
According to chapter five of the August 2015 peace agreement, a Hybrid Court will be formed to try suspects for the crimes committed during the 21 months of conflict between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar.
There will be a separate body for truth, healing and reconciliation to mend ties for the ethnically divided country.
(ST)