Roundup: Civilians attacked, displaced in South Sudan despite peace accords

Senior UN officials said Thursday that civilians remain at risk in South Sudan despite peace agreements in the world's youngest country.

Civilians continue to be "targeted, attacked and displaced" and that "acute humanitarian needs persist" due to the recurrent lack of access, they said.

During their briefings to the UN Security Council here on the current situation in South Sudan, UN officials also cautioned that the humanitarian and human rights situation in the country remains dire, and asked the 15-nation UN body to call on the parties to the conflict and armed actors to uphold their obligations under international law to protect civilians and aid workers, and grant free access for delivery of life-saving supplies.

"The challenge in South Sudan is an increasing disconnect between the assurances of national and the actions of local groups," said Stephen O'Brien, the UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and UN emergency relief coordination.

In February, South Sudanese President Salva Kiir and rebel leader Riek Machar signed a peace deal agreeing to run a unity government which would culminate in government elections.

The peace deal, signed in August last year under UN pressure, leaves Salva Kiir as president and returns Riek Machar to his old job as deputy. Fighting in the past two-some years has forced over 2 million South Sudanese to flee their homes while some 200,000 people are living in UN camps.

In his February visit to South Sudan, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged South Sudanese leaders to respect a peace agreement signed in August 2015 and aimed at ending more than 21 months of civil conflict.

ACUTE HUMANITARIAN NEEDS

In the March 17 Presidential Statement on South Sudan, the Security Council urged the government of South Sudan and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO) to allow people to move freely and aid to get to those in need.

However, more than 17 incidents of obstruction of access have been reported.

These comprise of interference "by parties from individual armed actors through to national authorities," O'Brien said.

Citing illegal exactions and taxes, and demands at check points for payments to cross, he said "such extortions are unacceptable and must stop."

Aid workers and humanitarian supplies are targeted, with at least two workers killed since December 2013, and a conservative estimate of humanitarian losses since the beginning of this year of around 10 million U.S. dollars.

In addition to the ongoing violence, the deteriorating economic situation is further driving instability. The monthly cost of food and clean water for an average family now amounts to 10 times the salary of a teacher, O'Brien said.

Despite such obstacles, the UN and partners were able to reach more than 4.5 million people with assistance, often in the most remote areas.

However, a critical lack of funding is hobbling future efforts, O'Brien warned. Of the required 1.3 billion U.S. dollars earmarked to reach more than 5 million people, only 9 percent of the funding has been received from the international community.

HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS

Also briefing the Security Council on the rights situation in South Sudan, Kate Gilmore, the UN deputy high commissioner for human rights, said violations and abuses against civilians "continue unabated."

"Since December 2103, all parties to the conflict have committed gross human rights violations and abuses, along with serious violations of international humanitarian law," Gilmore said. These include killing civilians, widespread sexual violence against women and girls, pillaging and destruction of civilian property such as homes, humanitarian infrastructure, schools, and medical facilities, including hospitals.

In addition, both the government and opposition forces have forcibly conscripted children.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid bin Ra'ad shares the view of the AU Commission of Inquiry, which found that the allegations of gross violations, including a number committed in 2015, constitute war crimes and/or crimes against humanity, Gilmore said.

She sounded "alarm" that the violence and insecurity was spreading to Western Equatoria and other areas that previously had been less affected by the conflict.

The senior UN official also expressed concern about the shrinking space for free media and civil society.

"The legacy of violence and revenge underscores South Sudan's urgent need for accountability for both past and present day human rights violations and abuses as well as for violations of international humanitarian law," she said.

"Yet, in spite of the repeated public and formal commitments given by the parties to the conflict to end the violence and punish its perpetrators, no evidence has been found of any genuine efforts by either the government or the opposition to live up to their undertakings," she said.

She echoed the calls of the High Commissioner for the formation of accountability and transitional justice mechanisms for South Sudan, including the creation of a Hybrid Court with a designated unit to support the witnesses and victims subjected to crimes such as sexual violence, and children.

URGENT NEED FOR TRANSITIONAL GOVERNMENT

Sustained progress in the country will require both parties to form a transitional government of national unity without further delay and demonstrate the courage to compromise for the sake of peace, said Ellen Margrethe Loj, special representative of the UN secretary-general for South Sudan and head of the UN peacekeeping mission in the country (UNMISS).

Addressing the Security Council via video conference from the South Sudanese capital, Juba, the special representative said despite the signing of the peace agreement, violence continues in many parts of the country.

For example, tensions between the Dinka and Shilluk communities in the Upper Nile continue to be high since incidents in February, which included an outbreak of violence in the UN Protection of Civilians facility in Malakal.

"Since that incident, UNMISS has been supporting humanitarian partners to re-establish facilities and restore service delivery within the site, while also providing force protection for food delivery," Loj said.

Measures are also being taken to increase parameter security and the UN is engaging with local officials and community leaders to prevent further violence.

The UN Headquarters has launched an inquiry into whether UNMISS did all it could to protect civilians.

The next report of the secretary-general will be available in the coming weeks, she said.

Also on Thursday, the Security Council also heard from Festus Mogae, the chairperson of the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission. who said implementation of most aspects of the agreement has been "delayed."

However, he noted both sides confirmed willingness to implement the Agreement and he has faith that the transitional government of national unity will be in power soon. Enditem