South Sudan civil society welcomes release of AU report

Civil society groups have hailed the release of the final report of the African Union Commission of Inquiry on South Sudan.

Civil society groups have hailed the release of the final report of the African Union Commission of Inquiry on South Sudan.

The South Sudan Human Rights Society for Advocacy said the report was long overdue and will encourage implementation of the peace deal signed by the warring parties.

“SSHURSA calls on South Sudanese people to use the report as a starting point to forge a new era of truth, peace, unity, and sense of humanity with a resolve to never again cause such harms to each other or any of their neighbours,” the group said. “As the realities of atrocities are exposed, though series of denials and counter denials would likely surface, the report would however, partly contribute to smooth implementation of the signed peace agreement.”

The Community Empowerment for Progress Organization said the report’s release is a remarkable historical milestone for South Sudan and shows how the African Union stands for justice.

“The truth sets us always free,” CEPO Executive Director Edmund Yakani said. Yakani called on the warring parties to officially respond to the allegations made in the report.

File photo: Former Nigerian President Olesegun Obasanjo, head of the AU inquiry panel