Rights group pushes for AU-backed court for S Sudan

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has urged South Sudan to establish a “hybrid” court with the African Union (AU) in order to address human rights violations in the country.

The rights body asked South Sudan to heed last week’s call by the UN Security Council to “support the protection of civilians” and stop interfering with the UN peacekeeping mission’s monitoring of human rights abuses in the country.

“The council made clear the time for delay is over: the hybrid court needs to be operationalised,” HRW said in a statement on Thursday.

In February, UN human rights experts asked South Sudan to make a genuine effort to restore stability, including bringing those who have committed atrocities to justice.

In their report to the UN Human Rights Council, the experts cited growing levels of violence in recent months – with hundreds of civilians killed or displaced – and urged South Sudan to act swiftly to get the court up and running.

South Sudan in January agreed to establish a hybrid court to prosecute human rights violations, after years of delay.

– Agencies