UNMISS Director of Human Rights Division visits Warrap State to meet diverse stakeholders. Photo by Zejin Yin/UNMISS.
WARRAP – “It’s always vital to get firsthand reports about the human rights situation across South Sudan,” said Musa Gassama, Director of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan’s (UNMISS) Human Rights Division. Mr. Gassama was speaking after concluding a visit to Warrap state last week, where he met a diverse range of stakeholders—members of the Transitional Legislative Assembly, justice actors, civil society representatives and members of other executive bodies. His focus: To find ways to consolidate stakeholder concerns and forge a common path forward. “Listening to the perspectives of state authorities and community representatives enabled me to better appreciate a wide range of key human rights issues they are facing locally,” revealed Mr. Gassama. A top priority for the senior UNMISS staff was to gain a thorough understanding of the application of the Green Book Act as well as clear the air about mis- and disinformation related to extrajudicial killings. Mr. Gassama succinctly summarized the latter: “Whenever there are reports of extrajudicial killings, it is very alarming for everyone concerned. But I’d like to clarify that UNMISS, as a mission, has not issued any statement on this issue last year. I’m aware that a press statement erroneously attributed to us with inflated figures had been circulating, and I’d like to urge everybody to only share verified facts when it comes to such sensitive matters.”The Green Book Act and its implementation formed a large part of Mr. Gassama’s conversations with different actors, especially considering the importance of due process as well as the role of the judiciary and police in upholding the rule of law. "We talked with multiple partners about the possibility of working together to decongest prisons and explore sustainable options to reinforce the justice system. I will advocate to raise these topics to the level of the Chief Justice,” he explained.“What is clear from my meetings is that all concerned acknowledge that it is essential for the Act to be implemented through due process. I am optimistic, therefore, that Parliament may take another look at this Act,” he added. William Mayom, Warrap State's Minister of Information, was appreciative of Mr. Gassama's visit and reaffirmed the state's commitment to upholding human rights treaties. "We reiterate our commitment to implementing human rights treaties as a member state of the UN and are doing everything possible across Warrap to make sure that the rights of every citizen are consistently upheld,” he stated.