UN rights body urges AU, UN action to avert new South Sudan war

ADDIS ABABA/GENEVA – A U.N. rights commission warned on Monday that South Sudan’s worsening political crisis was fueling renewed clashes and a humanitarian slide, urging the African Union (AU) and U.N. Security Council to act decisively to prevent a relapse into full-scale war.

Violence has escalated to levels not seen since a 2017 ceasefire, with civilians again bearing the brunt, the U.N. Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan said. It accused the country’s leaders of having “deliberately stalled progress” despite years of regional mediation.

A key driver of the conflict is systemic corruption and the looting of public funds, which has deepened impunity and deprived millions of basic rights, the commission said, citing a recent report.

“The ongoing political crisis, increasing fighting, and unchecked, systemic corruption are all symptoms of the failure of leadership and consensus in implementing the commitments of the peace agreement and political transition,” said Commissioner Barney Afako, who led the Mission to the AU.

“Unless there is immediate, sustained and coordinated political engagement by the region, South Sudan risks sliding back into full-scale conflict with unimaginable human rights consequences for its people and the wider region. South Sudanese are looking to the African Union and the region to rescue them from a preventable fate,” he added.

The commission urged the AU to establish transitional justice mechanisms outlined in a 2018 peace deal, particularly a Hybrid Court for South Sudan, to address widespread atrocities committed since the conflict began in 2013.

“More than ever, justice is essential for South Sudan. The promises made to victims years ago remain unmet,” said Yasmin Sooka, Chair of the Commission.

“The Hybrid Court must move from paper to concrete action — the African Union has the mandate and the moral responsibility to ensure holistic transitional justice for South Sudan in line with its Transitional Justice Policy.

“A Hybrid Court that delivers accountability for past crimes — while at the same time strengthening South Sudan’s own justice institutions based on complementarity— can leave a transformative legacy, strengthening cohesion, the rule of law and human rights in the country,” she added.

Renewed fighting this year has forced about 300,000 people to flee to neighbouring countries, the commission said. The region now hosts over 2.5 million South Sudanese refugees, with another 2 million displaced inside the country.

“The mounting armed clashes, mass displacement and fracturing of a peace agreement signed seven years ago demonstrate that South Sudan cannot rebuild without stability and justice,” said Commissioner Carlos Castresana Fernández.

“Credible and independent mechanisms for justice and accountability are needed to deter the repeated cycles of atrocities, break cycles of impunity and heal the wounds of war. The AU and regional partners must act now — not only to prevent another war, but to build the foundations of a just peace, based on the rule of law,” he added.

With the AU Peace and Security Council and U.N. Security Council meeting in Addis Ababa this week, the commission urged both to prioritise the court’s establishment, calling impunity and corruption the main obstacles to peace.

“The crisis unfolding in South Sudan is the result of deliberate choices made by its leaders to put their interests above those of their people. The region and the international community must now prevail upon South Sudan’s leaders to make a different choice — one that puts their people first,” said Commissioner Sooka.