Top US lawmaker, activist Peter Biar discuss South Sudan human rights situation

WASHINGTON, JANUARY 25^th 2023 (SUDANS POST) – South Sudan economist Peter Biar Ajak on Tuesday met a top United States lawmaker to discuss the human rights situation in South Sudan in the wake of detention of journalists in the world’s youngest country.

Biar in a tweet said the meeting with Senator Chris Van Hollen, Senate chair of Sub-Committee on Africa & Global Health and member of Senate Foreign Relations Committee discussed the human rights violations taking place in South Sudan.

“It was a great honor to meet with Senator Chris Van Hollen, Chairman of Senate’s Sub-Committee on Africa & Global Health & member of Senate Foreign Relations Committee earlier today,” Biar wrote in the tweet seen by Sudans Post.

“We discussed current affairs of South Sudan, including human rights violations taking place such as arbitrary detention of journalists & activists, lack of political space, communal violence, stalled peace & a need for a viable transition towards democracy,” he added.

The meeting between Biar and the top US lawmaker comes weeks after South Sudan’s National Security Service (NSS) arrested at least six journalists in connection with a viral video in which President Kiir could be seen wetting on himself in public.

The security agency, which has been accused of gross human rights violations by rights watchdogs such as the Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, further last week arrested one more journalist for allegedly having taken part in the circulation of the viral video.

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joined its affiliate, the Union of Journalists of South Sudan (UJOSS), in expressing concern over the safety of the journalists and calling for their immediate release.

Prominent local activist Edmund Yakani, the Executive Director of Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) also called on the security agency to safeguard of the journalists and called for their release.