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UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Seif Magango: South Sudan: UN human rights chief decries escalating hostilities, arbitrary arrests and hate speech
“We are warning today of a real risk of further deterioration in the human rights situation in South Sudan. This follows a sharp increase in hostilities between the South Sudan people’s defence forces and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army - In Opposition,” he said.
“At least 75 civilians have been killed and 78 others injured since the latest hostilities broke out in February. Thousands have been displaced,” spokesperson stated.
The latest fighting broke out following a series of armed attacks in Nasir County, in Upper Nile State in February that were attributed to the White Army militia group.
“High Commissioner Volker Türk is urging all parties to urgently pull back from the brink and to uphold the 2018 peace agreement. He is also calling on all parties to protect civilians and civilian objects and to facilitate humanitarian access - in line with their obligations under international law,” Magango said.
“We are also concerned by the arbitrary detention of dozens of politicians linked to the SPLM-IO, among them the country’s first vice-president, ministers and members of parliament,” he said.
At least 55 high-ranking government officials affiliated with the SPLM-IO were arrested across the country between the 5th and the 26th of March – many of them without arrest warrants or due process.
“All those arbitrarily detained must be immediately and unconditionally released.
We appeal to the authorities to also take prompt, effective and meaningful steps to halt hate speech,” he stated.
END
For more information and media requests, please contact:
Ravina Shamdasani - + 41 22 917 9169 / ravina.shamdasani@un.org or
Liz Throssell - + 41 22 917 9296 / elizabeth.throssell@un.org or
Seif Magango: +41 79 752 0488 / seif.magango@un.org
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STORY: UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Seif Magango: South Sudan: UN human rights chief decries escalating hostilities, arbitrary arrests and hate speech
TRT: 01:48
SOURCE: OHCHR/UNOG
RESTRICTIONS: None
LANGUAGE: English /NATS
ASPECT RATIO: 16:9
DATELINE: 23 May 2025 GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
SHOTLIST
- Exterior shots: Palais des Nations
- Wide shot: briefing room
- SOUNDBITE (English)— Seif Magango, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights: “We are warning today of a real risk of further deterioration in the human rights situation in South Sudan. This follows a sharp increase in hostilities between the South Sudan people’s defence forces and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army - In Opposition and their allied fighters.”
- Cut away: briefing room
- SOUNDBITE (English)— Seif Magango, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights: “At least 75 civilians have been killed and 78 others injured since the latest hostilities broke out in February. Thousands have been displaced.”
- Cut away: briefing room
- SOUNDBITE (English)— Seif Magango, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights: “High Commissioner Volker Türk is urging all parties to urgently pull back from the brink and to uphold the 2018 peace agreement. He is also calling on all parties to protect civilians and civilian objects and to facilitate humanitarian access - in line with their obligations under international law.”
- Cut away: briefing room
- SOUNDBITE (English)— Seif Magango, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights: “We are also concerned by the arbitrary detention of dozens of politicians linked to the SPLM-IO, among them the country’s first vice-president, ministers and members of parliament.”
- Cut away: briefing room
- SOUNDBITE (English)— Seif Magango, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights: “All those arbitrarily detained must be immediately and unconditionally released. We appeal to the authorities to also take prompt, effective and meaningful steps to halt hate speech.”
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