UN Human rights experts visit S Sudan Tuesday

Representatives of the UN Human Rights Commissioner on South Sudan are expected to arrive in Juba on Tuesday to discuss the human rights situation in the country.

The human rights experts – Barney Afako and Andrew Clapham. – will hold meetings with concerned institutions on the commission’s latest findings and recommendations on priority areas, following the signing of the two-year extension to the 2018 revitalized peace agreement, according to the statement issued on Monday.

“The experts are expected to meet Government officials, members of civil society, jurists, UN agencies and the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS),” the statement reads.

The rights experts will also discuss with the groups and file the reports, findings and recommendations in regards to human rights in South Sudan and will present the report in the 52nd session of the UN Human Rights council which will take place in Geneva between 27 February and 4 April, 2023.

After meeting all the officials, the commissioners will hold a press conference this Friday at the UNMISS headquarters in Thongpiny, Juba.

The UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan is an independent body established in March 2016 and mandated by the United Nations Human Rights Council to investigate Human rights situation, violations, and abuses  in South Sudan.

Several human rights groups, UN agencies, and humanitarian organizations operating in South Sudan have reported gross human right violations recently.

Both armed opposition groups committed abuses, including sexual violence, unlawful killings, and abductions of civilians in parts of the country in 2022, according to a 2022 Human Rights Watch report.
It said attacks against aid operations by armed groups and government forces persisted with no known investigations or prosecutions of perpetrators, all of whom were South Sudanese, were killed by armed groups.