Although South Sudan has means to address growing human rights abuses, it does not have the capacity.
Foreign Affairs Minister Nhial Deng Nhial told the press on Wednesday in Juba that US Secretary of State John Kerry met President Salva Kiir Mayardit at the sidelines of the AU summit in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital, last week.The minister said Mr Kerry raised the issue of growing human rights violations in South Sudan.
Mr Deng added that President Kiir accepted that there were human rights violations fuelled by armed conflict.
President Kiir explained that South Sudan has laws to mitigate those violations, but it does not have the capacity to use them.
He added that the Police and the Judiciary are still struggling to meet the demands vested upon them.
Mr Deng said Mr Kerry also raised Khartoum’s charge that South Sudan was supporting Sudanese rebels.
President Kiir answered that South Sudan does not have resources to support insurgents and the fighting is taking place in Sudan’s hinterland far away from the border.
The Foreign Affairs minister made these statements during a press conference to report on the AU’s golden jubilee and the heads of state summit.
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