South Sudan opposition groups urge UN to hold Kiir accountable for human rights abuses

JUBA, SEPTEMBER 21, 2023 (SUDANS POST) – A group of South Sudanese opposition groups has called on the United Nations to hold President Salva Kiir Mayardit to account for his government’s alleged human rights abuses and obstruction of peace.

In a statement Wednesday, the National Consensus Forum (NCF) which comprises of Real SPLM, NAS, SSUF/A, PCCA, SAA, SSNMC, Academic & Professionals and SSPM/A said Kiir “does not represent the sovereign will of the people of South Sudan” and that his government is “illegitimate.”

The hold out opposition alliance which is not a signatory of the revitalized peace agreement also accused Kiir of “state failure, corruption, large-scale abuse of human rights, denial of justice, humanitarian crises, ethnic divisions, and restricted political, civic, and media spaces.”

The NCF’s statement comes as Kiir is set to attend the UN General Assembly in New York this week. The group asserted that Kiir’s address to the world body will aim to ‘mislead’ the international community, saying it should be questioned.

“President Kiir’s speech at the UNGA will be mere political rhetoric intended to mislead the world into believing that there is progress in development in South Sudan and that his failed authoritarian government deserves support from the international community,” they said.

“The only way to resolve the conflict in South Sudan rescue the country and achieve sustainable peace is by addressing the Root Causes of the Conflict through a Roundtable Conference that will bring all South Sudanese Stakeholders together,” the NCF said.

The NCF is an umbrella organization who have not signed the revitalized peace agreement and comprises of political, civil society, youth, and the academic and professional association and represents a major segment of the South Sudanese society.

The NCF’s statement is a significant development, as it shows that the opposition to Kiir’s government is growing.