Helen Grant, the UK Prime Minister’s Special Envoy for Girls’ Education - Credit: Lou Nelson/Eye Radio | Feb. 3, 2022

The UK Prime Minister’s Special Envoys for Girl’s Education and Gender Equality has called on the unity government to speed up the peace process for the country to achieve rule of law and social justice.

Activists believe that the biggest challenge to upholding the rule of law in South Sudan is the presence of arms in the hands of unauthorized persons.

In October 2019, Amnesty International said South Sudanese authorities allowed impunity to flourish over serious human rights violations.

The human rights body said prosecutors only follow the directives of the executive, and in the absence of such directives, they do not investigate serious crimes.

Helen Grant, the UK Prime Minister’s Special Envoy for Girls’ Education said for South Sudan to address the social, political and economic challenges it is facing, there is need for the unity government to gear towards sustainable peace in the country.

“It is clear there are many social, political, economic and environmental challenges to be addressed. I also think it is crucial that the government is able to lead and fund quality, sustainable services that are accessible to all,” the Boris Johnson’s envoy told Eye Radio in an exclusive interview on Thursday.

“This is important for South Sudan’s long term success going forward, and of course an accelerated peace process.

“South Sudan can have a stable, peaceful democracy where the rule of law and human rights are respected for all.”

For her part, the UK Director of Education, Gender and Equality and Special Envoy for Gender Equality, Alicia Herber has called on the government to deliver the service.

“In a country like South Sudan that has a vast number of children who cannot read, they are in school but by the age of 10, they can’t read a simple text. So that’s the sort of challenge we still have ahead of us,” Herber said.

“I think the importance of government should be stepping up by paying their adequate salaries on time, and indeed leading the funding of quality and sustainable service so everyone can access that in South Sudan.”