UN Human Rights Experts Schedule 12th Visit to South Sudan

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The United Nations Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan, comprising independent experts, is scheduled to undertake a five-day visit to the country next week.

Led by Chairperson Yasmin Sooka, the delegation, including members Barney Afako and Carlos Castresana Fernández, will be in South Sudan from 12 to 16 February 2024.

The timing of the visit is crucial as South Sudan approaches the end of its transition period under the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement. Plans for a new constitution and national elections by December 2024 are underway.

During their visit, the experts will engage with a range of stakeholders, including government officials, survivors of human rights violations, members of civil society, jurists, UN agencies, and the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). The discussions will focus on the human rights situation in the country, incorporating the Commission’s latest findings and recommendations.

A press conference is scheduled for 10:00 AM on Friday, 16 February at the UNMISS conference room in Tomping, Juba, where the Commissioners will address the media.

The Commission intends to present its latest findings on the human rights situation in South Sudan to the UN Human Rights Council in early March 2024, in Geneva.