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Deeply disturbing violence is escalating “all over” South Sudan, top independent UN human rights experts have warned. Women and girls continue to be gang-raped and survivors have been described as “zombies, physically and emotionally dead”, according to the UN Commission on Human Rights in the world’s youngest nation.

Accounts of sexual abuse committed by aid workers at a camp run by the UN in South Sudan first surfaced in 2015, two years after the country's civil war erupted. Seven years on, such reports have not only continued, but they recently increased, an investigation by The New Humanitarian and Al Jazeera found.

UN Special Representative Nicholas Haysom said that although key provisions of the Agreement are set to end by February, the parties agreed in August on a Roadmap that extends the current transitional period by 24 months.  … The Special Representative reported that while conflict-related violence is also increasing, UNMISS continues to support prevention through policy frameworks and other areas. 

[…] During the reporting period, the implementation of the Revitalized Agreement

 

The body monitoring South Sudan’s peace process (RJMEC) has urged the Revitalised Transitional Government of National Unity (R-TGoNU) to redouble its efforts and fully implement the roadmap in letter and spirit.

As fighting continues in South Sudan, a new UN report released on Tuesday documents 173 civilian deaths over a four-month period along with widespread human rights violations committed without repercussion.

South Sudan’s unity government has begun unifying rival armed groups in a programme meant to create a professional military for the country. On Tuesday, Juba witnessed the first unification exercise after more than 20,000 armed fighters graduated from months-long training to transition to professional soldiers.

A rebel movement led by South Sudan’s former army chief of staff, Gen Paul Malong Awan has threatened full military operations after the alleged capture of one of their top field commanders. … SSUF is one of the holdout groups participating in the Rome peace process.

A group of “like minded” South Sudanese stakeholder have “categorically” reject the extension by the parties of the Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity (R-TGoNU) period.

The Troika and European Union (EU) member states have welcomed South Sudan’s leaders’ commitment to the full implementation of the September 2018 revitalised peace agreement. Last week, five South Sudanese political parties to the September 2018 peace deal signed a roadmap extending the current transitional period for two additional years, citing failure to complete critical benchmarks as agreed.