UN rights body to brief General Assembly on delayed elections and human rights abuses

JUBA – The UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan (CHRSS) will address the UN General Assembly’s Third Committee on Wednesday, highlighting the country’s extended transitional period, stalled peace agreement provisions, and persistent human rights violations.

Commissioner Barney Afako, a member of the CHRSS, is scheduled to deliver a speech during the afternoon session, according to a statement extended to Sudans Post on Tuesday by the commission.

The committee will discuss the South Sudanese government’s recent decision to postpone elections until December 2026, the unimplemented provisions of the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement, the nation’s economic and social hardships, and the ongoing impunity for serious human rights abuses.

The CHRSS will also advocate for steps toward transitional justice, reconciliation, and national healing to prevent a return to conflict.

“The Commission also aims to share its perspectives on the path forward for transitional justice, national reconciliation, and healing in South Sudan to prevent a resurgence of civil conflict,” the note reads in part.

The session will be live-streamed on the UN Webcast platform, and statements from delegations will be available on the UNJournal after the briefing.

The extension of the transitional period, agreed upon by President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar in September, aims to provide more time for implementing delayed provisions of the 2018 peace agreement.

This marks the second extension since the formation of the unity government in February 2020, with several key reforms remaining incomplete.