A family finds refuge at a former UNMISS base in southwestern South Sudan.
This article is published in association with United Nations.
The UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) together with the African Union mission there, and other key bodies collectively known as the Quartet, have raised the alarm over rising violence and political instability in South Sudan.
The Quartet is calling on the country’s leaders to end hostilities and return to dialogue to fully implement the 2018 peace agreement known as the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS).
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South Sudan, the world’s youngest nation, gained independence in 2011 but soon descended into a brutal civil war. A 2018 peace agreement has held together but now threatens to fully unwind between the president and his vice presidential rival.
Regional pressure
In recent weeks, the Quartet has observed air and ground attacks that have led to loss of life, the destruction of homes, and the displacement of civilians. Humanitarian facilities have also been targeted, while hate speech and ethnic tensions are on the rise.
The Quartet welcomed a recent joint visit by the African Union and IGAD to South Sudan as a sign of regional support for peace. It also called on all sides to cooperate with ceasefire monitors investigating recent violence.
South Sudan’s leaders must commit to inclusive dialogue, the release of political detainees, and renewed efforts to carry out the peace deal, the Quartet stressed.
A return to war would betray the people’s hope for peace and stability, they warned. Only a political solution can ensure free and fair elections at the end of the current transitional period.
UN rights chief urges EU not to weaken landmark corporate responsibility law
UN human rights chief Volker Türk has called on the European Union to protect a key law that holds large companies accountable for human rights and environmental harm.
The EU’s Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), adopted last year, requires businesses to identify and address any negative impact their activities may have on people or the planet.
But changes now being discussed in Brussels as part of a broader reform package could weaken the law, Mr. Türk warned on Wednesday.
“The CSDDD, by far the most ambitious business and human rights regulatory initiative anywhere in the world, has rightly been welcomed by companies, policy makers, civil society, and national human rights institutions alike,” he said.
“A large number of businesses have already taken steps to ensure they comply with it.”
Detailed review
UN human rights office, OHCHR, has published a detailed review of the EU proposal, pointing to ways it could undermine this groundbreaking directive.
Mr. Türk urged lawmakers to keep the law in line with global standards, such as the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
“While some streamlining… could be advantageous, it would be counterproductive to water down its alignment with international standards,” he said.
April deadliest month for civilians in Ukraine since September
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April was the deadliest month for civilians in Ukraine since September 2024, with at least 209 people killed and 1,146 injured, the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) reported on Wednesday.
In its monthly update, the Mission said that 97 per cent of casualties occurred in areas controlled by Ukraine, with nearly half caused by missile and loitering munitions attacks by Russian forces.
“Kryvyi Rih, Sumy, Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, Kyiv, and Kharkiv all endured devastating attacks,” said Danielle Bell, Head of HRMMU. “The sharp rise in casualties was mainly due to the intensified use of ballistic missiles in major cities.”
Among the deadliest incidents:
- On 4 April, a missile strike on Kryvyi Rih killed 20 civilians and injured 63.
- On Palm Sunday (13 April), two missiles hit Sumy, killing at least 31 and injuring 105.
- A 24 April attack on Kyiv killed 11 and injured 81.
Children were especially affected. At least 19 were killed and 78 injured in April – the highest monthly total since June 2022.
The wave of attacks continued into May, with cities including Kharkiv, Odesa and Kyiv again coming under fire.
UN experts raise alarm over Mali’s suspension of political parties
Independent UN human rights experts have strongly criticised Mali’s military authorities for suspending all political parties and activities, calling the move a clear violation of basic rights.
© MINUSMA/Harandane Dicko
A detention centre in Bamako, Mali. (file)
The decision, announced on 7 May via state television, halts political activity “until further notice.” The junta, which took power following coups in 2020 and 2021, said the suspension was necessary to maintain public order.
The three UN Human Rights Council-appointed experts described it as a direct violation of human rights and called for the order’s immediate repeal.
They also called on the National Transitional Council to strike down a bill introduced on 30 April, which repealed legislation governing how political parties operate.
“If passed into law, the 30 April bill will place Mali in contravention of its human rights obligations, notably on freedoms of association and expression,” the experts stressed.”
Protests
In response to the 30 April bill, opposition parties organised a pro-democracy rally in the capital Bamako on 3 May which drew hundreds of demonstrators. The parties reportedly demanded a timeline to end military rule and a return to constitutional order.
Another protest is planned for Friday to oppose the decree against political parties.
The experts said Malian authorities must work to counteract “the current climate of suppression of the civic space”.
“The right to peacefully assembly is essential to the health of a vibrant political community,” the experts said. “The Malian Transitional authorities must scrupulously respect it and abstain from acts of intimidation and repression that risk the physical integrity and the rights of demonstrators.”
Special Rapporteurs and Independent Experts are appointed by the Geneva-based Human Rights Council. They serve in their individual capacity, independent of the UN system and national governments. They are not UN staff and draw no salary
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