Former and current members of the Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan interview an internally displaced person in Akobo, South Sudan, December 2017. (©UNMISS Photo - Adebayo Ayokunle).

A team of independent experts from the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan will embark on a five-day visit to the country next week, the UN agency announced.

 The Commission’s chairperson, Yasmin Sooka will lead the commission delegation to South Sudan from 12th to 16th February 2024.

She will be accompanied by fellow members Barney Afako and Carlos Castresana Fernández, the UN Human Rights Council said in a press statement on Thursday.

“The visit comes at a critical time in South Sudan, as the country’s transition period under
the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement nears an end, with a new constitution and
national elections planned by December 2024,” the statement reads in part.

They are expected to meet Government officials, survivors of human rights violations, members of civil society, jurists, UN agencies and the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).

The experts reportedly plan to discuss the human rights situation in South Sudan, including the Commission’s latest findings and recommendations.

The Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan is an independent body mandated by the United Nations Human Rights Council.

First established in March 2016, it has been renewed annually since.

Its three Commissioners are not UN staff, they are not renumerated for their work as Commissioners, and they serve independently in their capacity as experts.

They are supported by a Secretariat based in Juba, South Sudan.

The Commission is mandated to investigate the situation of human rights in South Sudan
and to make recommendations to prevent a deterioration of the situation, with a view to
its improvement.

The Commission is also mandated to determine and report the facts and circumstances of human rights violations and abuses, including by clarifying responsibility for crimes under national and or international law.

The Commission’s findings are informed by independent interviews conducted with victims and survivors of human rights violations, as well as witnesses, service providers, and related experts and stakeholders.