GENEVA: The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on Friday expressed deep concern over the worsening crisis in South Sudan, urging swift and decisive measures to prevent the country from descending back into full-scale civil war.
“Human rights monitoring provides a warning system. That system is flashing red for South Sudan,” Volker Turk told the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.
“We need urgent action to preserve the peace agreement and prevent fragmentation and cycles of retaliation that could herald a return to all-out civil war,” he said.
The security and humanitarian situation in South Sudan has been deteriorating rapidly, with rising tensions between rival political and ethnic groups.
The UN has reported a sharp rise in civilian killings and human rights violations, with violations increasing significantly compared with previous months, highlighting deteriorating security conditions.
The humanitarian agencies have warned of a potential return to all-out civil war if immediate preventive measures are not taken.
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Food insecurity, limited access to healthcare, and disrupted public services are compounding the crisis, leaving millions vulnerable. International actors are calling for urgent dialogue and coordinated intervention to stabilise the country and protect civilians.
Large numbers of civilians have been forced to flee their homes due to clashes and aerial attacks, with hundreds of thousands displaced within Jonglei alone, compounding existing displacement from earlier conflict and regional instability.
