UNITED NATIONS — The UN special adviser on the prevention of genocide, Alice Wairimu Nderitu, has welcomed the government of South Sudan’s approval to establish transitional justice mechanisms, including the African Union Hybrid Court for South Sudan.
This decision is a crucial step towards establishing accountability for serious human rights violations, many of which may constitute atrocity crimes, that have taken place since violent conflict broke out in December 2013, said Nderitu in a statement released on Tuesday.”The decision is an important initial step towards justice and accountability for the many victims who have suffered brutal crimes during the conflict in South Sudan, including heinous acts of sexual and gender-based violence.”She called for swift and concrete action to operationalize the Hybrid Court, which is envisioned to have jurisdiction with respect to the crime of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and other serious crimes, including gender-based crimes and sexual violence.
In addition to the Hybrid Court, the special adviser stressed the need to establish the other mechanisms under Chapter V of the 2018 peace agreement, including the Commission for Truth, Reconciliation and Healing and the Compensation and Reparation Authority.All institutions should observe the 35 percent women representation threshold in line with the peace agreement, she said.
Nderitu also encouraged the government of South Sudan and the African Union to work collaboratively with other initiatives that promote accountability, including the Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan established by the Human Rights Council, which is mandated to determine and report the facts and circumstances of, collect and preserve evidence of, and clarify responsibility for alleged gross violations and abuses of human rights.
