UN Human Rights Commissioner Navi Pillay at the end of her 3-day tour of South Sudan. [Gurtong/Waakhe Simon Wudu]
By Waakhe Simon Wudu
JUBA,12 May 2012 [Gurtong] - Speaking at the end of a 3-day tour of South Sudan Friday, the UN Human Rights Commissioner Navi Pillay commended the government for its efforts in averting the rampant abuse of human rights, but said much needs to be done.
She revealed that she had discussed a number of human rights abuse cases with senior government officials during her tour.
She mentioned torture, beatings, child abduction, killings and oppression of women as some of the main human rights abuse cases commonly practiced in the infant nation.
“I have therefore urged the government to ratify all the main international human rights treaties as soon as possible. Human rights are human rights, whatever your state of development”, she said.
She said that when ratified, the treaties will build on the principles laid down in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and set the legal standards for their application.
Pillay said that her visit was to assess and evaluate areas of support for the development of good long-term human rights infrastructure such as laws, institutions and practices in South Sudan.
“There is a widely recognised need to make a sustained effort to combat impunity, particularly among members of the security forces who violate people’s human rights including unacceptable and criminal behavior”, she said.
She at the same time condemned Sudan’s aerial bombardment on South Sudan which she said led to the deaths of innocent civilians.