The United Nations has warned that South Sudan has made little progress in tackling corruption and political instability ahead of planned elections, with serious human rights violations continuing across the country.
The UN-appointed Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan issued the warning on Thursday after visiting the country ahead of its first-ever elections, which the government says it plans to hold in December.
South Sudan gained independence 15 years ago but has struggled to establish political stability, with violence escalating between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and those aligned with opposition leader Riek Machar.
Machar, who remains under detention, has been at the centre of a fragile power-sharing arrangement with Kiir that has increasingly broken down.
The UN commission said serious human rights abuses continued, including killings, displacement, sexual violence and arbitrary detention, and called for independent investigations into the violations.
“Political and civic space has narrowed, while many of the safeguards and conditions for peaceful and credible polls are still missing,” the commission said.
It also expressed concern over what it described as a “lack of progress” since its major report on corruption released last year.
That report accused senior government figures of diverting billions of dollars in oil revenues while failing to make adequate investments in essential public institutions, including schools and hospitals.
Commissioner Carlos Castresana Fernandez warned that corruption and impunity could further fuel violence in the country.
“When violations go unpunished and public resources are diverted without consequence, impunity becomes entrenched, and that breeds violence,” he said.
Yasmin Sooka, chair of the commission, said the situation had changed little despite the passage of time, while the consequences for ordinary South Sudanese continued to worsen.
“The patterns have changed little, while the human cost continues to grow,” Sooka said.
The planned December elections would mark a major milestone for South Sudan, which has never held a nationwide vote since gaining independence.
However, the elections have already been postponed twice, in 2022 and 2024, after authorities failed to establish the necessary institutional and logistical capacity.
The UN warning is likely to heighten concerns over whether the government can create the political, security and institutional conditions required for credible and peaceful elections by December.
