The US ambassador to South Sudan, Michael Adler, blamed unnamed politicians in Juba for fueling the ongoing violent conflict in Upper Nile State.
Amb. Adler called on South Sudanese leaders to act with urgency to end human rights violations and hold perpetrators accountable.
“The United States is gravely concerned by credible reports of continued human rights violations and the impunity enjoyed by those perpetrating such acts,” he said.
He said the commitment to human rights is a foundational element in the U.S. relationship with South Sudan, pointing out that this remains as strong as ever today.
“It has been the driving force behind U.S. support for the people of this country from its very beginning, which dates back decades before South Sudan’s independence in 2011.”
The envoy said many of those violations occur within the context of subnational violence, such as the ongoing conflict in Upper Nile State.
“It is clear that political actors in Juba bear responsibility for much of the violence in Upper Nile State and must act to end it.”
The conflict in Upper Nile started in July 2022 between two factions headed by Gen. Simon Gatwech and Johnson Olony, who signed a peace accord with the SPLM in government.
Gen. Simon Gatwech leads the SPLA-IO breakaway Kitgwang faction, while Gen. Johnson Olony is the leader of the Agwelek faction. The two generals were formerly under the Kitgwang faction, but they split after they both signed the Khartoum agreement.
Over 20,000 people had fled their homes since the onset of the conflict in August, with some fleeing up to four times as the conflict raged. A report by the UN refugee agency stated that at least 3,000 people have already fled to neighbouring Sudan, further intensifying South Sudan’s refugee crisis.
The diplomat stressed that the US remains deeply concerned about sexual and gender-based violence, extrajudicial killings, and other significant violations that pertain to limitations on internationally recognized rights, such as freedom of expression.