Statement of Iceland on the situation in South Sudan

39th session of the Human Rights Council

ID with Commission on Human Rights
in South Sudan (oral update)

17 September 2018

Delivered by Iceland

Mr. President

Iceland is grateful for having this opportunity to engage with the Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan.

In its last report in March of this year, the Commission concluded that most of the parties to the conflict in South Sudan had been “deliberately targeting civilians on the basis of their ethnic identity and by means of killings, abductions, rape and sexual violence, as well as looting and the destruction of villages“.

We would agree that those acts constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity and believe there must be accountability for those responsible for any such acts.

We look forward to receiving the Commission´s next report, at the March session of the Council next year, which we hope will provide clarity on who is responsible for the worst human rights violations in the conflict in South Sudan, including sexual and gender-based violence and ethnic violence.

Mr. President,

While we welcome the latest peace agreement signed by the warring parties in South Sudan, and hope it will finally bring durable peace to the long-suffering people of South Sudan, we are concerned about the recent announcement by President Kiir of a general amnesty and would like to ask the members of the Commission whether they think peace in South Sudan can take hold if there is no  accountability for the crimes committed against civilians in the country, as well as international aid workers.

I thank you.