UN Commission Warns Violence, Impunity Threaten South Sudan’s Elections and Transition

JUBA — The UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan has warned that renewed violence, political tensions and persistent impunity are placing civilians at growing risk and threatening the country’s political transition as it prepares for general elections.

The warning followed a four-day visit during which Commission members held talks with government authorities, political and security actors, civil society representatives, victims and survivors, humanitarian and international partners, members of the legal community and other stakeholders.

Commission Chair Yasmin Sooka travelled to Bor, where she met government authorities, civil society and humanitarian actors, as well as survivors of recent fighting in northern Jonglei State. Survivors recounted harrowing experiences of killings, sexual violence, displacement and separation from their families.

Several survivors said they had been left without adequate medical, psychosocial and other essential assistance, including people with serious and urgent health needs.

“Visit after visit, we continue to hear from people who bear the consequences of violence, displacement, insecurity and the failures of those with political and security responsibilities to prevent and address those harms,” Sooka said.

“What troubles us most is that we continue to hear similar stories of suffering – families uprooted from their homes, communities living in fear, women and girls facing serious violations, and people struggling to access even the most basic services. The patterns have changed little, while the human cost continues to grow. South Sudanese people deserve better than to have their lives shaped by recurring cycles of violence and uncertainty,” she added.

The Commission said renewed violence, political tensions, shrinking civic space, corruption and impunity were putting both civilians and South Sudan’s political transition at risk. It also raised concerns over attacks on civilians and infrastructure, continued displacement and disruptions to humanitarian operations.

According to the Commission, funding shortages are forcing humanitarian agencies to scale back assistance at a time when needs remain severe. It also called for an investigation into an attack on a UN peacekeeping patrol in Jonglei that killed two peacekeepers and injured others.

With South Sudan preparing for planned elections, the Commission warned that moving to the polls without sufficient political dialogue and basic safeguards could deepen tensions rather than advance the country’s transition.

Commissioner Barney Afako said political failures continue to reproduce conditions that fuel violence, warning that implementation of the Revitalized Agreement has stalled even though its central objectives remain critical to South Sudan’s future.

“The implementation of the Revitalized Agreement has stalled, but its objectives for delivering a transformed, democratic and peaceful South Sudan remain as relevant as ever, and must be protected,” Afako said.

He warned that political and civic space has narrowed as the country moves toward elections, while many of the conditions necessary for peaceful and credible polls remain absent.

“South Sudanese do have a right to vote; that right must be protected by ensuring they can participate freely, compete fairly, and resolve any electoral disputes through credible adjudication,” Afako said. “These are the safeguards that will prevent an election from becoming a trigger for violence and disruption.”

The Commission urged the government and political groups to revive inclusive dialogue, release political detainees in cases where due process has not been followed and establish the long-delayed Hybrid Court for South Sudan.

It also criticised what it described as limited progress in addressing corruption, warning that longstanding governance and accountability weaknesses continue to undermine the country’s institutions.

“All these years, the Commission has documented serious violations and identified the same underlying problem: impunity,” Commissioner Carlos Castresana Fernández said.

“Too often, those responsible for grave abuses have not been held accountable, while institutions responsible for justice remain weak and under-resourced,” he added.

Castresana said that a year after the Commission issued a report on corruption, there had been little meaningful implementation of its recommendations, with conditions in some areas deteriorating further.

“When violations go unpunished, and public resources are diverted without consequence, impunity becomes entrenched, and that breeds violence,” Castresana said. “South Sudan cannot break this cycle without credible accountability, functioning justice institutions and transparent management of the country’s resources.”

The Commission called for de-escalation, stronger protection of civilians, unhindered humanitarian access and greater accountability. It also urged regional and international partners to intensify preventive diplomacy as political and security pressures mount.

“South Sudan still has a choice,” Sooka said. “The people of this country have waited long enough for peace, security and institutions that serve them.”

“The country can move towards elections in a way that deepens division and conflict, or it can use this moment to restore political dialogue, protect civilians and put in place the safeguards needed for a peaceful and credible transition,” she added. “What is needed now is genuine dialogue and political will – not another cycle of promises.”