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“We remain concerned that the underlying conditions that led to the establishment of the Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan (CHRSS) in 2016 are yet to see adequate progress,” Amnesty said in a statement Monday.
“We urge this Council to renew the Commission’s mandate without any restrictions so that it may continue to exercise all its functions including that of collecting and preserving evidence of violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law for purposes of facilitating accountability in the future,” the statement added.
Amnesty expressed concern over a shrinking civic space, arbitrary detentions, restrictions on freedom of movement and association, media censorship, and harassment of civil society actors as South Sudan prepares for elections.
The watchdog also noted an upsurge in ethnic conflicts in various regions.
“International scrutiny of the human rights situation in the country is needed now more than ever,” Amnesty stated. “It is essential that the Commission is allowed to continue its documentation at this critical juncture to serve as an early warning mechanism and provide international oversight.”
Amnesty urged the Commission to redouble its efforts to establish early warning mechanisms to document and highlight rising human rights violations.
The group lamented the government’s failure to investigate or prosecute crimes under international law as outlined in the 2018 Peace Agreement, undermining efforts toward justice for victims and survivors.
Amnesty stressed that the Commission’s work is central to preventing the perpetuation of violations.
“The Human Rights Council must extend the Commission’s mandate in full during this election period which is likely to be followed by an uptick in human rights violations,” the group said.
