Ambassador Richard Bell

U.S. Senior Adviser for African Affairs

New York, New York

October 30, 2024

AS DELIVERED

Thank you, Chair. Thank you, Commissioner Afako for your presentation.

The United States remains deeply concerned by the human rights situation in South Sudan, which is further jeopardized by the delay of elections. The recent passage of an amendment to the National Security Service Act has served to embolden the National Security Service (NSS) - which is a troubling development for an institution that has been accused of a number of actions that contradict South Sudan's obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

These reported actions include extrajudicial and ethnically based killings, arbitrary detentions that are lacking any respect for fair trial guarantees, the politically motivated targeting of civil society and political opposition, and other unjust actions by the NSS.

For South Sudanese that are targeted by the NSS, recourse is limited. The chronic underfunding of the judiciary and its limited independence have rendered it unable to protect the citizenry from the NSS's actions.

We urge the President and Parliament to reverse course so that the legal code aligns with South Sudan's obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. We believe this is critical for the South Sudanese people to express their views without fear.

A question for Commissioner Afako, with the recent announcement that elections have been delayed by two years, what steps should the government take - including with respect to the protection of the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly - to create a conducive environment for free and fair elections?

Thank you.