September 24, 2024 (GENEVA) – Extension of the transitional government in South Sudan will compound dire human rights crisis if leaders do not change course, United Nations experts warned. Last week, the Government of South Sudan  extended the transitional period by 24 months and postponed the December 2024 general election to December 2026, citing a lack of preparedness. The Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan said the delay by the leadership to pursue peace has resulted in a dire humanitarian crisis, characterized by extreme hunger and food insecurity, and the displacement of more than four million South Sudanese both in the country and the region. “South Sudan’s unelected leaders have since independence in 2011 continued to entrench impunity for systematic and gross human rights violations, fuel insecurity and deliberately thwart efforts to democratise the country,” Yasmin Sooka, the Chairperson of the Commission said in a statement. In South Sudan, she further observed, the basic needs of nine million people are unmet, equating to around three quarters of the population, while the humanitarian assistance levels are insufficient. According to Sooka, despite the last two-year extension of South Sudan’s transitional period in August 2022, most critical tasks remain unimplemented, including the …

The post UN experts warn of dire human rights crisis in South Sudan appeared first on Sudan Tribune.