PRESS RELEASE : Statement on report of Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan [March 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 7 March 2023.

Rita French, the UK’s Human Rights Ambassador, delivers a statement on the report of the Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan.

Thank you, Mr President.

We welcome the report of the Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan whilst deeply regretting its conclusion that the human rights, humanitarian and security situation in South Sudan remains dire and of urgent concern.

We are particularly concerned by instances of sub-national violence across South Sudan as well as reports of government intimidation, harassment, illegal arrest and arbitrary detention of civil society actors and media workers.

Mr President,

While we recognise some positive progress made by the Government of South Sudan and the National Legislative Assembly, it is clear that the end goal of a just and lasting peace in South Sudan – based on the full respect for human rights, full implementation of the Revitalized Agreement, and full operationalization of the Chapter V transitional justice institutions – is still very far away.

Bearing all this in mind, and while South Sudan’s own capacity to provide tangible human rights scrutiny is yet to be realised, we believe that the only credible response by this Council can be to extend the Commission’s mandate for a further year.

Commissioners,

We welcome your convening of a multi-stakeholder conference on transitional justice in South Sudan in late February. What conclusions did you draw from this?

Thank you.