In a recent warning from the UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan, the political leadership of South Sudan is being admonished for perpetuating impunity, corruption, and systemic violations of human rights. The report casts a light on sustained violence, repression, and economic mismanagement, urging crucial reforms to halt further decline of the nation’s political and humanitarian landscape.
Despite the extension of the transitional government’s mandate until 2026, ostensibly due to financial constraints and sluggishness in implementing the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement, substantial revenues have nonetheless been accrued. Between September 2022 and August 2024, the government reportedly amassed USD $3.5 billion, predominantly from oil exports. Yet, critical infrastructure remains decrepit, with underfunded judicial institutions and unpaid civil servants.
Commissioner Barney Afako voiced concern over the mandate extension serving as an excuse for delaying reforms, emphasizing the repetitive patterns of severe human rights abuses often involving the same officials in identical roles. The absence of meaningful intervention is seen as allowing the cycles of violence and impunity to continue unabated.
A particularly disturbing element is the “Green Book” law in Warrap State, which condones extrajudicial executions for offenses like cattle raiding, aggravating lawlessness and triggering retaliatory cycles. This law disproportionally impacts specific ethnic factions, and numerous victims, such as children, have faced execution without trial. Notably, judicial oversight is virtually nonexistent, with merely a single appointed judge for the entire state.
Furthermore, conflict-related sexual violence, especially prevalent in Tambura, remains rampant with no sign of cessation. Armed factions and militias are accused of orchestrating heinous acts such as gang rapes, mutilation, forced marriages, and sexual slavery. Many survivors lack access to necessary medical care, legal remedies, or psychological support, and fear reporting these crimes due to societal stigma and potential retribution from perpetrators who frequently retain influential positions.
Additionally, South Sudan’s corruption levels have soared, exacerbating the humanitarian plight. The crisis is dire as over two million citizens remain internally displaced and approximately 2.28 million have sought refuge in neighboring countries, while half of the population grapples with severe hunger driven by economic collapse and mounting insecurity. For humanitarian organizations, bureaucratic red tape, funding shortages, and ongoing violent threats pose formidable obstacles to their operations. In 2024, there were 198 incidences of violence against humanitarian staff, inclusive of kidnappings and fatalities.
The UN Commission is calling for the immediate implementation of the Revitalized Peace Agreement, prosecution of those involved in human rights violations, annulment of the Green Book law, cessation of child soldier recruitment, and the fortification of institutions to address corruption and uphold the rule of law. Absent concrete steps toward genuine reforms in governance, the nation risks remaining ensnared in unrelenting cycles of violence and oppression.
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