Interactive dialogue with the Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan
Statement as Delivered by Ambassador Sheba Crocker
Delegation of the United States of America
Human Rights Council – 49th Session
March 18, 2022
The United States welcomes the Commission’s ongoing dialogue with the Government of South Sudan, and its holding of a conference on transitional justice in December, at the government’s request, with the participation of several South Sudanese ministers, African Union officials, and civil society stakeholders.
We are deeply concerned about the protracted human rights crisis in South Sudan. This includes reports of rampant human rights violations and abuses including those involving ethnically based killings, starvation of civilians, pervasive gender-based violence, arbitrary arrests and detentions, and excessive restrictions on the exercise of freedoms of expression and peaceful assembly. Attacks on humanitarian workers continue unabated.
We reiterate the importance of renewing the Commission’s mandate this year, as the government seeks to fulfill its promise to establish transitional justice mechanisms mandated in the Revitalized Peace Agreement, including the Hybrid Court and the Commission on Truth, Reconciliation, and Healing.
Question: Commissioners, in what ways does the commission pave the way for the transitional justice mechanisms mandated in the ARCSS that have not yet been fully stood up?
Thank you, Mr. President
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