A group of South Sudanese and international NGOs are calling upon the African Union to be committed in establishing a hybrid court for South Sudan.
They also called for publication of the report of the inquiry on South Sudan without delay.
In a letter addressed to the AU Commission Chairperson, Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, the 38 NGOs appealed to her to take advantage of the African Union Peace and Security Council meeting on South Sudan.
The NGO group says Dr. Dlamini-Zuma should ensure a credible and independent hybrid court is formed in South Sudan, in accordance with the peace agreement signed by the government and the SPLM-In-Opposition last month.
“We write…to encourage you to take advantage of the AU Peace and Security Council meeting on South Sudan scheduled for September 26, 2015 in New York to express your commitment to establish the Hybrid Court for South Sudan and to help ensure publication of the report of the African Union Commission of Inquiry on South Sudan (AUCISS) without delay,” the group said in the letter.
“These actions would make clear the African Union Commission’s commitment to justice and to South Sudanese victims of crimes under international law in a conflict that has devastated millions of lives.”
More than 4 million people remain in urgent need in South Sudan following the conflict that broke out in December 2013, according to aid groups.
Over 2 million people have fled their homes and sought refuge within South Sudan or in neighboring countries.
The group also highlighted that the publication of the report on inquiry on South Sudan may also prove important to future investigators on atrocities committed.
The group comprises of Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and several South Sudanese and African non-governmental organizations.