The government of Iceland has among other things urged the South Sudan’s authorities to abolish death penalty.

The call comes barely a month after the hanging to death of Babu Emmanuel Lokiri – a young man who was accused of killing three siblings at Rock City in Juba in August 2020.

Babu was found guilty of murder under Section 206 of the Penal Code Act 2008 –an article that regarded his act as pre-meditated.

This means, his deed was intentional and according to the law was punishably by hanging to death.

On Monday, the UN Member States convened its 40^th session to examine the South Sudan’s human rights record through the Universal Periodic Review Working Group for the third time.

Abbreviated as UPR, is a unique body that conducts a periodic review of the human rights records of all 193 UN Member States.

The review is based on the national report containing information provided by a member State.

It also considers reports of independent human rights experts and groups, known as the Special Procedures, human rights treaty bodies and other UN entities.

And also information provided by other stakeholders including national human rights institutions, regional organizations and civil society groups.

Speaking on behalf of the government of Iceland, Mr. Harald Aspelund recommended South Sudan government abolish the death penalty.

Among other things, he also called on the leadership to ratify International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

“Iceland makes the following recommendations one, abolish the death penalty and ratify the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights or ICCPR and its second optional protocol,” Mr. Harald said.

“Implement  all legal provisions related to Gender Equality, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, establish an interim reparation program to address the immediate need of victims of conflict related sexual violence.

“Provide aid to appropriate sexuality education in all schools by 2025 in line with the International Conference on Population and Development or ICPD 25 commitment.”

In response, Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Justice Ruben Madol Arol, said the issue of death penalty needs to be debated among South Sudanese first.

But he said this including signing the Rome international conventions, require peace and stability in the country.

“Issues such as the death sentence, issues such as signing the Rome International Convention these I think are issues that will need a lot of debate in the country,” Justice Ruben said.

“This can only be done while there is an environment to enhance this debate in a wider and deeper manner. It cannot be raised while we are now busy to implement the agreement.

“All the commitment that the government has to do is in fact to have this agreement implemented in time.”