UN rights experts arrive in South Sudan

JUBA – A group of United Nations human rights experts on Tuesday arrived in South Sudan’s capital Juba for a five-day visit in which they will access the human rights situation of the country.

The delegation is led by Yasmin Sooka, Chair of the Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan. Others in the team include Andrew Clapham and Barney Afako.

They are also expected to discuss conflict-related sexual violence with senior government officials including President Salva Kiir Mayardit and First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny, ministers, members of civil society, religious leaders, diplomats, and the United Nations agencies.

“The experts will meet Government officials, representatives of civil society, the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and the UN system as well as members of the diplomatic community to follow up on the findings and recommendations of the Commission’s latest report ‘Conflict-Related Sexual Violence Against Women and Girls in South Sudan,’” the UN said in a statement today.

First established in March 2016, the UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan is an independent body mandated by the UN Human Rights Council.

The Commission is mandated to, among others; investigate the situation of human rights in South Sudan.

It is also mandated to determine and report the facts and circumstances of human rights violations and abuses, including by clarifying responsibility for violations and abuses that are crimes under national and or international law.