Yasmin Sooka, the head of the UN Commissioner for Human Rights in South Sudan - courtesy

The United Nations Human Rights Council has called on the African Union to urgently set up the Hybrid Court for South Sudan and support the Truth Commission.

The call follows a conclusion of a week-long meeting on Tuesday between UN experts on Human Rights with the Africa Union leadership, the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development diplomatic corps, UN representatives, and the civil society, among other actors in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

In a press statement sent to Eye Radio’s newsroom, the UN Commissioners emphasized that after four years, South Sudanese are deeply disappointed with the disjointed and slow progress on key provisions of the peace agreement.

“We urgently need the African Union to take the next steps necessary to set up the Hybrid Court for South Sudan and support the Truth Commission and the other processes that will give the men with guns serious pause for thought,” the chair of the UN Commission for South Sudan, Yasmin Sooka stated in a statement.

Under the peace agreement, a Hybrid Court, a Commission for Truth, Reconciliation and Healing and a reparations process should have been established more than two years ago.

However, the parties to the agreement have consistently failed to meet deadlines to make critical reforms and establish transitional justice bodies, without a credible justification for the delays.

UN experts said progress on implementing the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement for South Sudan has been extremely slow.

This year the parties have extended the peace agreement to another two years to implement the remaining critical tasks and in provisions.

However, the members of the UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan while in Addis Ababa urge African countries and other stakeholders to renew their support for the implementation of the peace agreement for South Sudan.

They said a clear plan to prepare and adopt a permanent constitution is a critical step that will enable South Sudanese to define their own future and provide the basis for elections to conclude the transition.

The Commissioners warned that political interests of the parties to the peace agreement must not be allowed to hinder South Sudan’s path towards healing, recovery and a sustainable peace.