Latest news with #YasminSooka
Zawya
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Zawya
Targeting of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) hospital may constitute a war crime, says United Nation (UN) Commission, urges immediate halt to hostilities in South Sudan
The UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan condemns in the strongest terms the deliberate aerial bombing of a Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) hospital in Old Fangak, Jonglei State - an atrocity crime that may constitute a grave breach of international humanitarian law and a war crime. The early morning airstrike on Saturday, 3 May 2025, obliterated the hospital, killing at least seven civilians and injuring many, including patients, caregivers, and medical staff. The attack destroyed critical medical infrastructure and the hospital's pharmacy, cutting off tens of thousands from critical lifesaving care. Credible reports confirm further aerial bombardments in the Phom area of New Fangak in the early hours of 5 May 2025, where bombs reportedly fell between the compound of an international non-governmental organisation and the County Commissioner's office. 'This was not a tragic accident. It was a calculated, unlawful attack on a protected medical facility. The aerial bombing of the MSF hospital in Old Fangak is a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and could amount to a war crime,' said Yasmin Sooka, Chair of the Commission. 'Targeting medical facilities and services violates the Geneva Conventions and represents a direct assault on foundations of humanitarian action that are intended to protect civilians in conflict zones. Those responsible must be identified, investigated and held accountable without delay.' The attack followed a public statement by the spokesperson of the South Sudan People's Defense Forces (SSPDF) on Friday, 2 May 2025, ordering retaliatory military action if hijacked vessels at Adok Port in Leer County were not immediately released by armed elements. The SSPDF warned that failure to comply would result in punitive aerial and riverine operations. This threat was issued shortly after the Government, in a strategic public announcement, categorized Nuer-majority counties by ethnicity into 'hostile' and 'friendly'—naming Fangak, home to tens of thousands of Nuer civilians, as one of nine 'hostile' counties in its document titled The Strategic Response of the Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity (R-TGoNU) to the Nasir Incident. 'This strike does not seem to be an isolated incident — it occurred in the context of escalating ethnic profiling, unlawful detentions, and a hardening of positions within the political and military elite,' said Commissioner Barney Afako. 'Designating the entire community of Fangak as hostile is deeply irresponsible and may amount to incitement of reprisals and collective punishment. This practice must end, and such designations must be rescinded immediately.' The MSF hospital was the only major medical facility serving more than 40,000 people in the Old Fangak area. MSF confirmed the complete destruction of the hospital and medical supplies in the attack, which has deprived an already vulnerable population — displaced and traumatized by conflict — of emergency care, maternal health services. 'The targeting of medical facilities is not only unlawful - it is inhumane,' said Commissioner Carlos Castresana Fernández. 'Hospitals must be protected spaces, not battlegrounds. What happened in Old Fangak is symptomatic of a growing impunity and disregard for human life that must be urgently addressed.' The escalation in political tensions and violence in South Sudan poses a direct threat to the viability of South Sudan's transition and jeopardises the implementation of the Revitalized Peace Agreement. The Commission urges the visiting delegations of the African Union Commission (AUC) and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) to press for the protection of civilians, and for accountability, and to urge signatories to the Agreement to return to political dialogue as the only means of addressing differences. The presence of AUC and IGAD in Juba should serve as a catalyst for urgent, high-level political engagement to urge all parties to return to dialogue and find their way back to implementing the Revitalized Agreement. The Commission further warns that repeated violations of the cessation of hostilities is driving the country dangerously close to another nationwide conflict. 'The path South Sudan is currently on is perilous,' Sooka warned. 'If attacks like these continue with impunity, the Peace Agreement risks becoming meaningless. The AU, IGAD and the international community must respond decisively.' Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations: Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
Zawya
27-03-2025
- Politics
- Zawya
Protection of civilians and adherence to peace agreement critical to preventing all-out war in South Sudan, warns United Nations (UN) Commission
The United Nations Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan has sounded the alarm over the country's rapidly escalating crisis, calling for urgent, coordinated action to protect civilians and preserve the Revitalized Peace Agreement, the cornerstone of South Sudan's fragile stability. The arrest of First Vice President and opposition leader Dr. Riek Machar, alongside mounting military clashes and reported attacks on civilian populations, signals a severe unraveling of the peace process—and a direct threat to millions of lives. 'At the heart of South Sudan's crisis is a failure to protect civilians and uphold the commitments of the Revitalized Peace Agreement,' said Yasmin Sooka, Chair of the Commission. 'The deliberate targeting of opposition leaders and civilians represents a reckless disregard for international law and the country's future.' Throughout March 2025, violence has intensified in multiple regions, including Upper Nile State, where aerial assaults have displaced over 60,000 people and targeted populated areas following the 7 March attack on a UN peacekeeping helicopter. Armed confrontations have crept closer to Juba, amid reports of opposition figures detained without due process, in violation of the Agreement's provisions on political inclusion and rule of law. The Commission warned that failure to uphold the protections enshrined in the Peace Agreement—including freedom of movement, political participation, and the cessation of hostilities—will lead to a catastrophic return to war. 'The Peace Agreement is not optional—it is binding,' added Sooka. 'Its systematic undermining by political and military actors is not only unlawful but a betrayal of the South Sudanese people who have already endured years of devastating conflict,' she said. The situation is further exacerbated by the deployment of Ugandan troops and their battle tanks into South Sudan, following a request by the country's President. This raises serious concerns over potential violations of the UN arms embargo and the growing partisan role of foreign forces, which further endangers civilians and risks regional escalation. 'The protection of civilians must be the central priority,' said Commissioner Carlos Castresana Fernández. 'Instead, we are witnessing actions that increase civilian vulnerability—indiscriminate attacks, arbitrary detentions, and foreign intervention. All these developments signal a dangerous lurch toward renewed conflict. Many South Sudanese have already suffered the consequences of reckless and criminal political and military decisions that led to full-scale war and ethnic atrocities. It should not be allowed to happen again,' he stressed. The Commission emphasized that all parties to the conflict—including State actors and militias—are bound by international humanitarian and human rights law. Violations, including war crimes and crimes against humanity, may lead to individual criminal accountability before domestic or international courts. 'We must not allow South Sudan to repeat the mistakes of the past,' warned Commissioner Barney Afako. 'Failure to de-escalate the ongoing political and military tension will be cataclysmic for South Sudan. South Sudan's leaders must urgently sit down across political divides to de-escalate tensions, reassure an alarmed population, and address their differences. The region and the international community must move swiftly to engage national leaders, and states active in the conflict, to prevent South Sudan from imploding and aggravating the volatility of this fragile region. The way forward is clear: an immediate recommitment to the Revitalized Agreement, the release of political detainees, the cessation of hostilities, and above all—protection of civilians', he said. The Commission is calling on regional and international partners, including the African Union, IGAD, and the United Nations, to urgently intensify diplomatic pressure, support de-escalation, and ensure full implementation of the Peace Agreement's provisions. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Human Rights Council (UN HRC).
Zawya
10-03-2025
- Politics
- Zawya
South Sudan's leaders must avert another deadly crisis and uphold peace agreement, urges United Nations (UN) Commission
The surge in violence in Upper Nile State, escalating political tensions in Juba, and other political intrigues are threatening to derail South Sudan's Revitalized Peace Agreement and inflict more pain and suffering on citizens, warns the UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan. The armed confrontations in Nasir, including the criminal attack on a United Nations aircraft, which resulted in tragic fatalities, including the death of UN personnel, must be condemned and is considered a war crime. They are the consequence of political mismanagement, including prolonged delays in the unification of armed forces, required under the Revitalized Agreement. The targeting and dismissal of opposition figureheads, including ministers and governors, combined with military confrontations, and mobilisation of militia, are adding to the destabilisation and the ensuing violence. 'South Sudan should be moving forward, implementing the provisions of the peace agreement, strengthening institutions, and building a foundation for democracy,' said Yasmin Sooka, Chair of the Commission. 'Instead, we are witnessing an alarming regression that could erase years of hard-won progress. Rather than fuelling division and conflict, leaders must urgently refocus on the peace process, uphold the human rights of South Sudanese citizens, and ensure a smooth transition to democracy', she added. 'What we are witnessing now is a return to the reckless power struggles that have devastated the country in the past,' said Commissioner Barney Afako. 'South Sudanese have suffered enough. They have endured atrocities, rights violations which amount to serious crimes, economic mismanagement, and ever worsening security. They deserve respite and peace, not another cycle of war', he stressed. The Commission reminds all parties to the Revitalized Agreement, as well as other South Sudanese stakeholders, of their obligations and responsibilities to respect human rights and to invest in completing the transitional processes. These include constitutional reforms, the establishment of the Truth Commission, the Reparation Authority, and the Hybrid Court—critical mechanisms intended to address the root causes of conflict and break the recurring cycles of political crises and human rights violations. 'It is time for leaders to act responsibly. South Sudan must continue to move forward with the transition—towards stability, democracy, and lasting peace—otherwise the country will backslide into chaos. The tension in Upper Nile must be resolved through dialogue, not through armed confrontation that will destabilize the entire nation and the region. The current trajectory of instability, repression, and renewed conflict must not be allowed to continue', said Commissioner Carlos Castresana Fernández. South Sudanese are deeply fearful and desperate for peace and now look to regional and international actors—particularly neighbouring states and other guarantors of the Peace Agreement—to urgently re-engage with South Sudan's leaders, de-escalate the violence, recommit to dialogue and compromise, and ensure the full implementation of the ceasefire and the completion of the transition. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
Arab News
08-03-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
'Alarming regression' in South Sudan, UN warns
The chair of the UN commission, Yasmin Sooka, said South Sudan was 'witnessing an alarming regression that could erase years of hard-won progress''Rather than fueling division and conflict, leaders must urgently refocus on the peace process'NAIROBI: South Sudan is in 'alarming regression' as clashes in recent weeks in the northeast threaten to undo years of progress toward peace, the UN commission on human rights in the country warned on Saturday.A fragile power-sharing agreement between President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar has been put in peril by the clashes between their allied forces in the country's Upper Nile Friday, a UN helicopter attempting to rescue soldiers in the state was attacked, killing one crew member and wounding two army general was also killed in the failed rescue mission, the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) said incident sent shudders through the young and impoverished nation, long plagued by political instability and late Friday urged calm and pledged no return to a statement on Saturday, the chair of the UN commission, Yasmin Sooka, said South Sudan was 'witnessing an alarming regression that could erase years of hard-won progress.''Rather than fueling division and conflict, leaders must urgently refocus on the peace process, uphold the human rights of South Sudanese citizens, and ensure a smooth transition to democracy,' she Sudan, the world's youngest country, ended a five-year civil war in 2018 with the power-sharing agreement between bitter rivals Kiir and Kiir's allies have accused Machar's forces of fomenting unrest in Nasir County, in Upper Nile State, in league with the so-called White Army, a loose band of armed youths in the region from the same ethnic Nuer community as the vice president.'What we are witnessing now is a return to the reckless power struggles that have devastated the country in the past,' commissioner Barney Afako said in the UN Commission added that the South Sudanese had endured 'atrocities, rights violations which amount to serious crimes, economic mismanagement, and ever worsening security.''They deserve respite and peace, not another cycle of war.'
