UN urges AU to back South Sudan’s transitional justice process

ADDIS ABABA – The United Nations Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan on Monday called on the African Union (AU) and the international community to increase their support for South Sudan’s peace process and implement a comprehensive transitional justice program to secure lasting peace in the country.

Barney Afako, a member of the UN Commission, welcomed the recent enactment of laws establishing the Commission for Truth, Reconciliation, and Healing (CTRH) and the Compensation and Reparation Authority (CRA).

“Despite the numerous setbacks, this is not the time to abandon South Sudan,” Afako said in a statement seen by Sudans Post on Monday.

He urged the AU to support South Sudan’s government in operationalizing the laws.

“The intensified support of the African Union and other international and regional partners is essential for the timely and credible completion of the country’s delayed political transition. Transitional justice processes are an essential element of South Sudan’s recovery,” he said.

Afako made the remarks at the conclusion of the Commission’s mission to Addis Ababa from Nov. 18–22. He emphasized the importance of AU support for permanent constitution-making and reforms in judicial, security, and economic sectors, describing them as critical to ending violent conflict, addressing atrocity crimes, and tackling entrenched impunity.

“These measures are thus indispensable for protecting human rights and ensuring sustainable peace in South Sudan,” Afako added.

Hybrid Court for South Sudan

The Commission also called on the AU to revive efforts to establish the stalled Hybrid Court for South Sudan, a key element of the transitional justice process.

Afako described transitional justice mechanisms as “the cornerstone of the country’s path toward healing, accountability, and lasting peace.”

Commission Chair Yasmin Sooka underlined the importance of creating a holistic transitional justice system that includes accountability, truth recovery, reparations, and rehabilitation measures.

“South Sudan must create the space for open participatory dialogue and the recognition of the immense suffering of its people, while also ensuring that perpetrators of serious human rights violations are held criminally accountable,” Sooka said.

“Accountability in all its forms, including through the Hybrid Court and strengthening avenues for domestic accountability, is essential to deal with entrenched impunity, which continues to fuel ongoing conflicts and gross human rights violations in South Sudan,” she added.

Independent Judiciary

Commissioner Carlos Castresana Fernandez stressed the need for South Sudan’s leaders to demonstrate their commitment to justice by investing in an independent judiciary.

“Corruption and the diversion of resources continue to undermine the country’s ability to build a functioning judicial system,” Fernandez said.

He called for strengthening the domestic justice system through the creation of a credible and independent judiciary, investment in judicial infrastructure, and the elimination of corruption.

“While the Hybrid Court is necessary to ensure accountability for the most egregious crimes, it must be complemented by credible domestic accountability, truth-telling, reparations, and critical state-building measures to address the full range of victims’ needs and guarantee non-recurrence of atrocities,” Fernandez added.

The Commission is scheduled to present its findings to the UN Human Rights Council in February 2025.