UN commission warns South Sudan peace deal is being dismantled, calls for urgent action

The United Nations Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan has called on the international community to take urgent action to prevent renewed conflict, warning that the country’s 2018 peace agreement is being systematically dismantled.

Addressing the UN General Assembly’s Third Committee on Tuesday, the Commission urged member states and regional and international partners to work together to secure lasting peace, regardless of the electoral timetable.

The Commission’s chair, Yasmin Sooka, said South Sudanese have a fundamental right to choose their leaders freely, but warned that elections must not be used to undermine the safeguards established under the 2018 Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan.

“A negotiated settlement has been displaced under cover of elections. This amounts to a constitutional coup through legislative reforms: the unilateral dismantling of the inclusive power-sharing settlement and concentration of all authority in the President,” Sooka told the General Assembly.

She urged international partners to move beyond expressions of concern and take concrete measures to address violations of the peace agreement.

“The international community must look beyond 22 December. Whether elections take place or not, South Sudan will still need an inclusive political settlement, protection for civilians and institutions capable of preventing further violence,” Sooka said.

The Commission said President Salva Kiir dissolved the transitional government, the national parliament and state legislatures on 22 September, removed the First Vice President and other vice presidents, and appointed a caretaker administration answerable to him.

It also raised concerns about the electoral process, noting that First Vice President Riek Machar remains detained and on trial, while his party and other opposition actors remain excluded from the electoral process.

Commissioner Barney Afako said the country’s biggest challenge was not simply whether elections would take place on a particular date, but whether the political process would be credible and inclusive.

“South Sudan’s biggest political challenge is not whether a vote takes place on a particular date; rather, what the country most needs is a credible political process that addresses unresolved grievances, manages political differences peacefully, and commands general confidence of citizens,” Afako said.

He warned that the current political direction risked deepening divisions and undermining stability.

“The current political trajectory eschews inclusion and promotes exclusion, and risks engendering disaffection and destruction,” he said, urging the international community to insist on dialogue, a ceasefire and implementation of the peace agreement.

The Commission also expressed concern over continued fighting in Upper Nile and Jonglei states, including aerial bombardments, ground offensives and attacks on civilian infrastructure.

It warned that conflict-related sexual violence, the recruitment of children by armed actors and the continued presence of tens of thousands of fighters outside a unified command were increasing the risk of renewed conflict.

The Commission called for an immediate cessation of hostilities, an end to unlawful attacks against civilians and safe, unimpeded humanitarian access. It also urged member states to ensure that the UN Mission in South Sudan has the resources and freedom of movement needed to protect civilians.

On accountability, the Commission called on the African Union to take concrete steps towards establishing the Hybrid Court for South Sudan, alongside support for credible domestic justice processes, evidence preservation and witness protection.

Commissioner Carlos Castresana Fernández said the lack of accountability continued to undermine peace and weaken public institutions.

“Impunity is not only entrenched in South Sudan; it is rewarded. Serious violations continue without effective accountability, while individuals implicated in them continue to occupy senior military and political positions,” Castresana Fernández said.

He added that corruption and the diversion of public resources were depriving people of essential services and weakening institutions responsible for protecting them.

“Sustainable peace requires political agreements, credible accountability, functioning justice institutions and transparent management of public resources. The Hybrid Court must be established, and concrete steps must be taken now to ensure that those responsible for serious crimes can be held to account,” he said.

The Commission further called for the activation of a joint African Union, Intergovernmental Authority on Development and United Nations task force requested at the AU C5 Plus Summit on 29 September. The proposed task force would work towards restoring inclusive governance under the 2018 peace agreement.

It also urged member states to insist on credible electoral safeguards, civic freedoms, reliable voter registration, participation by refugees and internally displaced people, and impartial mechanisms for resolving electoral disputes.

Sooka warned that the opportunity to prevent further atrocities was narrowing and urged the international community to act collectively.

“South Sudan’s people cannot afford another cycle of warnings followed by inaction. Member States and regional partners must act together, with urgency and determination, to keep the path to sustainable peace open,” she said.

The Commission’s independent members are in New York from 26 to 30 October to engage with member states, regional partners, civil society and other stakeholders on measures to prevent further deterioration in South Sudan.

The Commission said coordinated international action was urgently needed to protect civilians, sustain humanitarian assistance, restore inclusive political dialogue and advance accountability.