On the 11 th anniversary of the outbreak of South Sudan's civil war, the UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan has released a 19-minute video report that illustrates the persistence of egregious violence and serious human rights violations across the country, fueled by pervasive impunity, which has left traumatized South Sudanese waiting for justice and accountability.
Titled "The Unrelenting Cycle of Violence in South Sudan", the video draws on the accounts of victims to demonstrate the pain, suffering and damage that the violent conflict and the brutal violations have inflicted on individuals, and families, communities tearing apart the very fabric of South Sudanese society. It amplifies the need for holistic transitional justice processes including criminal accountability, truth telling, reparations and transformative institutional reforms, ensuring the non-recurrence of violence and violations, and breaking this ongoing cycle of violence. A comprehensive transitional justice program signals a shift of values dominant in a society – from an environment in which there is mistrust and in which no person feels safe if they belong to a targeted group including civil society and those who speak out or dissent from a government narrative, to society which enjoys sustainable peace built on a system of values and a culture of human rights in which the rule of law is respected and citizens trust the state to be a guarantor of their rights. There is no magic formula to make this happen, and it usually takes decades, particularly in deeply polarized societies, where trauma and mistrust shape public opinion. The video report also highlights how repression has become entrenched, with civic and political space curtailed by an overbearing National Security Service.
Yasmin Sooka, Chair of the Commission, said, "It is devastating to witness how entrenched and cyclical the violence has become due to the failure to hold the perpetrators accountable, including those identified by the Commission as having command responsibility. Pervasive impunity has emboldened individuals to commit horrific crimes as they have no fear of retribution. The demand from South Sudanese civilians is clear: they want justice and reparations for what they have suffered. They have waited far too long."
The report describes how, despite several peace-making efforts—including the 2015 Peace Agreement and the 2018 Revitalized Agreement—the country remains mired in politically inspired violence, ethnic strife, predation in which elites benefit from the widespread violence and human rights violations, including massacres, horrific sexual violence, extrajudicial killings, abductions, sexual slavery, exploitation, and abuse, and makes the point that urgent action is needed.
Commissioner Barney Afako commented, "Thousands of South Sudanese continue to live in fear of violence, displacement, and death, yet those responsible for their suffering remain at large or in positions of authority. The enactment of legislation to establish the Commission for Truth, Reconciliation and Healing, as well as the Compensation and Reparation Authority, must now be followed by urgent implementation. Authorities must also engage the African Union to complete the process of establishing the Hybrid Court, and the game of transferring responsibility for the failure to act on establishing this court must now end. Without a genuine commitment to accountability, peace and reconciliation will remain elusive."
The video report illustrates that without commitment to peace and justice from national leaders, South Sudan will struggle to shake off the impacts and legacies of the conflict that broke out in December 2013. Commissioner Carlos Castresana Fernandez said, "The human cost of the conflict in South Sudan is immeasurable. For the victims and survivors, the lack of accountability remains one of the most significant barriers to peace. Failing to end impunity is a failure of governance and leadership. The situation will not improve until there is a robust, independent national system of justice to address the crimes committed against the South Sudanese people and in this regard, the Government should urgently implement the extensive recommendations of the Judicial Reform Committee. There will be no peace without deterrence for the criminals"
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The conflict that flared in December 2013 has continued in different manifestations across the country, exacting a heavy toll on civilians: claiming the lives of hundreds of thousands, displacing millions, and shattering the country's social fabric. Without addressing its root causes—including governance, political, and economic failures—peace will remain elusive.
On this most somber of anniversaries, this sobering video report illustrates the high cost of the failure by national leaders to protect their citizens, particularly including women and girls, to manage plurality and cultivate a culture of accountability and respect for the dignity and human rights of the South Sudanese people. Among other things, leaders must renew and redirect efforts and resources towards establishing holistic transitional justice processes and rooting out the pervasive impunity that has blighted the lives of South Sudanese.
The video report can be accessed here.
