South Sudan Human Rights Monitor

(23 May 2018) This report is based on the work of internationally trained local monitors on the ground in South Sudan working for a national human rights organization. Both these monitors and the organization must remain anonymous given present security concerns. The information reported herein meets the threshold for initiating an investigation. There is a reasonable basis to believe that the following incidents occurred.

Introduction

South Sudan has experienced widespread human rights abuses and a plethora of crimes, including a significant amount of sexual and gender-based and ethnic violence, since the outbreak of the conflict in December 2013. Since the start of the conflict, violence has escalated at an alarming rate across the country, resulting in widespread killings, rapes, extensive property damage and looting of civilian property. This report details human rights abuses and crimes committed against civilians that have been documented by local monitors working anonymously in five locations around the country.

The gross human rights violations and crimes included in this report illustrate the severity of the conflict and its overall impact on the lives of civilians, including damaging their ability to sustain their livelihoods, and the destruction of the social fabric of their communities that will affect generations of South Sudanese. While this report does not cover the totality of human rights abuses and crimes that have occurred in South Sudan during the reporting period, it does provide a reasonable basis to believe that these human rights abuses and crimes have occurred as reported and a clear basis for analysis and human rights advocacy.

Despite the signing of the Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (ARCSS), establishing the Transitional Government of National Unity (TGoNU) in August 2015, peace remains elusive. Violence in Juba between the Sudan Peoples’ Liberation Army in Government (SPLA-IG) and Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO) in July 2016 resulted in widespread killings and rapes of civilians, extensive property damage and looting.[1]  At least 36,000 people were displaced, and 300 killed in fighting between the SPLA-IG and the SPLA-IO.[2] The violence in Juba ignited violence all across the country.

While attempts have been made to revitalize the ARCSS, violence against civilians has continued unabated.  Despite signing of the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (CHA), which took effect on December 24, 2017,[3] all parties to the conflict have violated the CHA on numerous occasions.[4]

On January 27, 2018, the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development’s (IGAD) Council of Ministers denounced the ongoing fighting and called for sanctions against those who obstruct peace in South Sudan.[5]

The ongoing conflict and the associated human rights violations and commission of crimes have had devastating humanitarian consequences. According to OCHA, nearly four million people have been displaced by the conflict, including more than 1.9 million persons internally displaced.[6] Two million more have fled as refugees to neighboring countries and nearly half of the country’s population, 5.1 million, are facing severe food insecurity.[7]

Although direct military confrontation has slightly decreased, possibly as a result of pressure to respect the ceasefire, there appears to be no resulting decrease of human rights abuses and crimes. During the reporting period, 16 incidents of human rights violations and crimes, including the arbitrary arrest and detention and summary execution of civilians, were documented. A majority of the documented incidents appear to be attributable to either the SPLA-IG or the SPLA-IO. Both groups appear to be targeting civilians who are perceived sympathizers of their opposition. Similarly, rivalries within various military and militia groups have resulted in similar violations against real and/or perceived rivals.

[1]Human Rights Council, “Report of the Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan,” February 23, 2018, para.  39 available at http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/HRC/CoHSouthSudan/Pages/Index.aspx

[2]Id.

[3] AFP, “South Sudan’s warring parties agree ceasefire in bid to end four-year war,” The Guardian, December 23, 2017.

[4] UN Security Council, “Special report of the Secretary-General on the renewal of the mandate of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan,” Doc. No. S/2018/143, February 20, 2018, available at https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/N1803923.pdf.

[5] Global Centre for Responsibility to Protect, “Atrocity Alert No. 90, Democratic Republic of Congo, Afghanistan and South Sudan,” January 31, 2018, available at https://reliefweb.int/report/democratic-republic-congo/atrocity-alert-no-90-31-january-2018-democratic-republic-congo.

[6] OCHA, Humanitarian Bulletin South Sudan, 18 January 2018,

[7] Id.

Read full report: SShumanrightsmonitor.