S. Sudan’s lawmakers urged to enact reforms of the National Security Service (NSS)
Members of the National Security Service (NSS) patrolling following a roadside attack in 2016 (Photo: File)
February 19, 2020 (SSNN)—Human Rights Watch, a human rights watchdog, has called on South Sudanese lawmakers to enact security laws that enforce reforms to the South Sudan Security Service (NSS), an infamous security institution that has broad powers over citizens to arrest, torture, and eliminate government critics.
“South Sudan’s National Assembly should urgently enact reforms of the National Security Service (NSS) to end arbitrary detention and abuse of detainees, Human Rights Watch said today. The authorities should also ensure that the security agency releases all those arbitrarily detained in Juba, the capital, and elsewhere in the country and hold all those responsible for abuses to account,” the statement issued by HRW said.
The statement pointed out that the National Security Service, has been for years, responsible for suppressing and harassing dissidents on a large scale.
“South Sudan’s national security agency has for years carried out a full-blown assault on critics of the government and political opponents in brazen disregard for basic rights,” said Jehanne Henry, associate Africa director at Human Rights Watch.
Human Rights Watch said that as the coalition government is expected to be formed soon, South Sudan’s leaders must ensure that all these abhorrent human rights violations are stopped immediately.
“With the formation of a unity government, South Sudan’s leaders should now show they are serious about ending these abuses and holding those responsible to account.”
South Sudan’s government and opposition leaders are expected to form a new unity government on February 22, 2020, in line with the terms of the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement.
“The National Assembly, South Sudan’s parliament, is to consider new legislation to revise structure, policies, and procedures of the security service amongst others in the coming days, before the new government is formed.”
“Lawmakers should prioritize revising the National Security Service Act (2015) to prohibit the agency from carrying out arrests and detaining people and ensure adequate and broad-based discussions on the reforms.”
The rights body urges the would-be-formed unity government to release all accused persons arbitrarily arrested without charges and close down illegal detention centers.
“The authorities should also close all unauthorized detention sites and release or appropriately charge detainees and transfer them to police custody, Human Rights Watch said.
Human Rights Watch has repeatedly called on the South Sudanese authorities to limit NSS powers to intelligence gathering, as envisioned by the Transitional Constitution of 2011, which mandates the agency to “focus on information gathering, analysis and to advise the relevant authorities.”
“Human Rights Watch, the South Sudan Human Rights Commission, and others have documented and reported on the pattern of arbitrary arrests and detentions, torture, and enforced disappearances by the National Security Service, with little to no accountability for the abuses. NSS detainees are often kept in poor conditions in unauthorized, ungazetted, secret detention facilities and in congested cells with inadequate access to food, water, and medical care.”
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