South Sudan: Rights group accuses South Sudan’s leaders of allowing war crimes to flourish with impunity
SSPDF forces heading to Juba (File/Supplied/SSNN)
Oct 7th, 2019 (SSNN)-Amnesty International, a human rights defender, has accused South Sudanese leaders of failing to prosecute and punish those responsible for serious war crimes and crimes against humanity – since the onset of the country’s civil war.
In a new report released on Monday, the human rights group blamed government forces and the main armed opposition group, led by then Vice President Dr. Riek Machar, for gross human rights violations and crimes against humanity committed during the conflict.
“Two and a half years after South Sudan gained its independence, soldiers loyal to President Salva Kiir Mayardit and then Vice President Riek Machar Teny Dhurgon clashed in the country’s capital, igniting an armed conflict between the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA), the national army, and armed opposition groups including the SPLA-In Opposition (SPLA-IO). Both government and opposition forces have committed crimes under international law and other serious human rights violations and abuses during the conflict, which saw thousands of civilians killed, hundreds of thousands displaced and countless people raped, tortured, arbitrarily detained or forcibly disappeared,” said Amnesty International on Monday.
The report pointed an accusing finger at South Sudan courts for failing to provide justice to victims of these serous human rights abuses, citing that “Judges experience political interference and risk being dismissed when they act, or are perceived to act, against the executive’s interests.”
And further adding that, “South Sudanese tribunals have failed to provide justice to victims of the conflict. Ordinary courts – the civilian justice system – are crippled by a severe lack of independence.”
The human rights defender, identified President Salva Kiir Mayardit as being an obstacle to justice system in the country.
“Military courts are not independent, as the President controls the creation of martial courts for high-ranking officers and has the power to confirm or reject judicial decisions. They also do not have jurisdiction to prosecute soldiers for crimes committed against civilians.”
While highlighting the levels of human rights abuses, Amnesty International puts the blame on South Sudan’s government for its reluctant and lack of political will to hold perpetrators of the most serious crimes accountable.
The group said that impunity has become the norm both for crimes committed by armed groups and crimes committed by South Sudanese security forces.
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