South Sudan’s security law is implemented automatically

According to the parliament’s spokesperson, the controversial security bill in South Sudan, which permits the apprehension of individuals without warrants, has been made law, despite the president’s failure to sign it.

Oliver Mori, the spokesman for the government, informed The Associated Press that the measure was made law “automatically” under the constitution, following a 30-day postponement since it was presented to President Salva Kiir on July 12.

Despite the fact that the latter did not sign or veto the law, it was met with criticism from human rights activists and certain other countries. In July, nine Western envoys, including representatives from the United States and Britain, stated that South Sudanese citizens should be guaranteed the freedom to engage in political and civic expression without fear of arbitrary arrest or intimidation by security personnel.

After a 2018 peace agreement concluded a five-year civil conflict that resulted in the deaths of nearly 400,000 individuals, South Sudan is scheduled to conduct its inaugural election under the transitional government.

In negotiations between the government and opposition organizations that were not included in the 2018 peace agreement, the new law has emerged as a significant obstacle.

According to Yasmin Sooka, the chair of the UN Human Rights Commission in South Sudan, the new law would empower security agencies to conduct “an increased number of arbitrary detentions and enforced disappearances.”

In order to enhance credibility and legitimacy, we implore the President and Parliament to promptly evaluate the circumstances and revise the law in accordance with democratic procedures. South Sudan’s obligations to the international community and the South Sudanese populace are directly contradicted by the adoption of this measure, she stated.

Executive director Ter Manyang Gatwech of the Center for Peace and Advocacy, a local rights organization, has declared his intention to challenge the law in court. He informed the Associated Press that the nature of this measure poses a direct threat to the nation, and as a result, no one is secure in this country.

Mathew Miller, the spokesperson for the United States State Department, stated last month that the transitional government of South Sudan must take immediate action to establish an environment in which individuals can freely express their opinions without fear.