Barney Afako, UN Commissioner on Human Rights in South Sudan, spoke during a joint press conference in Juba on Friday, February 16th, 2024. Photo Credit: Charles Wote/Eye Radio.

A UN human rights lawyer called on South Sudan to embrace elections that ends with a handshake and avoid polls that produce fresh grievances, division and violent crisis in the country.

The country is preparing to hold the first-ever general elections, 13 years after gaining its independence, amid creeping skepticism.

Barney Afako, the UN Commissioner on Human Rights in South Sudan, said South Sudanese deserve free and fair elections that will end with a handshake rather than violence.

“We know that South Sudanese wants to see elections that are free and fair and reflect their choices. They want elections that end with handshakes not with fighting,” Afako said at a news conference in Juba, Friday.

“We have seen on this continent and across the world that elections can produce fresh grievances and it is important that for South Sudan, we avoid this, we avoid elections that produce division violence and human rights crisis.”

Mr. Barney Afako also urged a collective and participatory constitution-making process that will hear the views of the South Sudanese public about on how they want their constitution written.

He said the constitution-making should not only be centered on technical drafting but should include the participation of the people at the grassroots level.

“Constitution making should be a collective and participatory exercise in which South Sudanese debate and reflect upon who they are, where they wish to go as a country.”

“It is a process for citizens if rushed or if it does not reflect the interests and views of the people of South Sudan, this very important opportunity will be lost to consolidate peace in this country.”

According to Barney Afako, the constitution-making should be a unifying exercise that does not fuel grievance or create grounds for further conflict in the country.

“We don’t want to see a situation where Constitution making and trenches division. It should be a unifying exercise that does not fuel grievance or create grounds for father conflict.”