A year of civil war in South Sudan (December 15)

One year after the beginning of the civil war in South Sudan (on December 15), the Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) calls for an end to impunity, for more initiatives to strengthen the civil society and to promote human rights and reconciliation in the young state. "Ethnically motivated harassment, rape, massacres and lootings are being tabooed. This is why the peace negotiations, which have been going on for months, will not bring lasting peace. As long as the civil society is not involved in the negotiations, the struggle for influence will only be about lucrative positions," warned Ulrich Delius, the STP's Africa-consultant, in Göttingen on Friday. "After decades of genocide and flight, South Sudan's distressed civilian population deserves more than a Pyrrhic peace."

The Government of South Sudan and the opposition movement SPLM-IO under Riek Machar have been negotiating about a peaceful solution in Addis Ababa for months. Despite the fact that several ultimatums of the International Community had expired, the parties have so far not managed to agree on a lasting peace. So far, none of the peace treaty drafts contained any agreements concerning an end to impunity. "If there is no historical and legal reappraisal of the crimes, there will also be no basis for dialogue and reconciliation between the warring communities of the Nuer and the Dinka," said Delius. "However, an amnesty for the perpetrators would throw the peace efforts back decades." The SPLM movement which is in power in South Sudan repeatedly managed to enforce amnesty provisions in agreements with opposing groups to prevent a coming to terms with the crimes.

Without lasting peace, the impoverished country – which became independent in 2011 – will not be able to develop. Now that the killings have been going on for a year, South Sudan is facing enormous challenges. More than 20,000 people got killed. Nearly two million are still on the run from the violence and almost 100,000 people from South Sudan have so far sought protection from new ethnically motivated attacks in refugee camps of the United Nations. "South Sudan needs a Truth Commission to clarify the background of the violence. The independent judicial system needs to be strengthened in order to bring to justice those who are responsible for the killings."

Ulrich Delius, head of STP's Africa department, is available for further questions: +49 551 49906 27 or afrika@gfbv.de.

Header Photo: European Commission DG ECHO/Flickr