UN sends team to investigate human rights violation

chika ebuzor

October 27, 2015 6:53 AM

He told reporters that the report would include recommendations aimed at improving human rights situation in that country and to ensure accountability for gross violations.

U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon speaks at the Chambers of Deputies in Rome, Italy, October 15, 2015. REUTERS/Remo Casilli

Following claims of violations and abuses in South Sudan, the UN had sent a team to assess the country's human rights situation, UN Spokesman, Stephane DuJarric, said.

DuJarric made the disclosure at a news conference with correspondents on Monday in New York.

He said the UN Human Rights High Commissioner, Zeid Hussein, said this followed reports of violations and abuses committed by both sides in the conflict there.

The spokesman said the UN had deployed a 10-member team to South Sudan in accordance with a UN Human Rights Council resolution.

He added that the team would focus on human rights violations affecting civilians in the country since the outbreak of violence nearly two years ago.

DuJarric said the team would build on work done by the human rights division at the UN Mission in South Sudan.

He noted that after the team must have completed its work, it would present an asessment report to the Human Rights Council based in Geneva at its next session in March 2016.

It would be recalled that fighting in South Sudan raged for more than 18 months between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and those supporting former vice president Riek Machar.

The violence, the UN said, led to ``humanitarian disaster'' in South Sudan, with no fewer than 2.5 million people facing severe food shortages and two million driven from their homes.

The UN Security Council, last Thursday, imposed sanctions on six military chiefs in South Sudan, each accused of threatening national stability.

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chika ebuzor