Item 2 : Enhanced Interactive Dialogue on report of the Commission on Human Rights 

in South Sudan

7 March 2023

Joint Statement with Meezaan Centre for Human Rights and Geneva International Centre for Justice (GICJ)

Delivered by Maeva Giambrone 

Thank you president, 

We thank the Commission on Human Rights for its report.

In 2022, and for many years, there have been reports of repeated sexual violence against Southern Sudanese women. In the  report, the Commission describes cases of rape and group rape. In addition, county governors and commissioners are suspected of being complicit in or even supervising systematic rapes.

Similarly, in South Sudan, children suffer from violence and insecurity. The report highlights that children are beaten, abducted and raped. In addition to being deprived of their fundamental rights, they are often recruited by armed forces and groups. South Sudan has pledged to stop these practices, contrary to international humanitarian law, but child recruitment continues.

At the end of 2022, girls were held against their will in a training centre in Maridi and subjected to sexual violence.

The failure to investigate these violations gives the perpetrators full impunity and constitutes further violations of South Sudan's obligations.

Meezaan Centre for Human Rights and Geneva International Centre for Justice (GICJ) call on the Government of South Sudan to uphold their international obligations. We urge them to implement the transitional justice mechanisms provided for in the Revitalized Agreement, including the Hybrid Court for Southern Sudan as soon as possible. 

There is an urgent need to end the culture of impunity by investigating those responsible for extrajudicial killings, sexual violence or acts of repression.