JUBA: A UN rights commission in South Sudan said on Friday there was sufficient evidence to charge at least 41 senior officers and officials with war crimes and crimes against humanity.

South Sudan’s four-year-old civil war has been characterised by extreme brutality and attacks on civilians.

But no high-ranking officials have been held to acco­unt, despite African Union (AU) promises to establish a special court to try alleged crimes.

“The court could be set up straight away and the prosecutor could begin working on indictments,” said Yasmin Sooka, chairperson of the UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan.

“Under the peace agreement, those indicted can no longer hold or stand for office. Ultimately this is the only way to stop the rampant devastation of millions of human lives by South Sudan’s leaders,” she said.

The commission said it had forwarded a confidential list of suspects to the UN’s High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein.

Published in Dawn, February 24th, 2018