The African Union Ambassador to South Sudan has requested the UN Human Rights Council to clarify a report indicating that the establishment of the hybrid court has been removed from the peace Agreement.

According to the peace agreement, the hybrid court should have been operational within 12 months after the formation of the transitional government of national unity, which was formed in 2015.

But in a report last month, the UN Human Rights Commission for South Sudan said it received a document stating that the timeline for implementing the provision had passed.

The Commission important evidence of major war crimes and human rights abuses during the crisis had been lost.

Ambassador Joram Biswaro says the HRC should clarify its position on this.

“I challenge them to testify and verify that because the impeccable evidence speaks to the contrary if you revisit the document,” he said.

Ambassador Biswaro said that it would be unspeakable for an individual or institution to omit a process that would hopefully provide justice for thousands of victims affected by the December 2013 conflict in South Sudan.

“Removed by whom? Who could remove that and who has the audacity to remove something appended by the high authorities within the IGAD and other signatories from the international community?”

He said he believes the establishment of the hybrid court is not an open-ended process.

Professor Dr. Joram Mukama Biswaro was appointed in October last year by former Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, as her new Special Representative for South Sudan and Head of the African Union Liaison Office in South Sudan (AULOSS), in replacement of Brigadier-General Sara Thomas Rwambali.