By Parach Mach
JUBA, South Sudan
A human rights activist, who had briefed a United Nations Security Council delegation about serious abuses, including rapes by government soldiers last week, was assassinated on Thursday in South Sudan's capital Juba.
Emmanuel Wani and other activists met the 15-member delegation, led by the U.S. permanent representatives to the UN, Samantha Power, last week in Juba. The delegation wanted to persuade the government to accept the deployment of regional troops to facilitate the implementation of last year’s peace deal.
Human rights activist Edmond Yakani, who heads the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization, told Anadolu Agency: “It is premature to comment on comrade Emmanuel Wani’s killing, it is unfortunate that he was murdered, but we are yet to gather the facts as civil society organizations.”
The UN Mission in South Sudan Thursday said it had received reports of threats and harassment against some civil society members who met the UN Security Council delegation.
"These reported actions are in violation of the rights to freedom of expression, movement and civil and political engagement, which are fundamental pillars of a democratic society. Any attempt to suppress these rights through threats and harassment must be condemnedin no uncertain terms," the UN mission said in a statement.
Local media said some activists who attended the meeting with UN delegation had fled the country.
An activist, who wished to stay anonymous for safety reasons, was quoted by the Sudan Tribune as saying: “I have been on the run since Monday. The security personnel have been calling me to report to their headquarters because I was one of those who attended meeting of the delegation of the security council of the United Nations.
“They are saying we have betrayed the country by failing to say what they have told us to tell the Security Council. They wanted us to tell members of the Security Council that we reject deployment of protection force.”
South Sudanese Deputy Information Minister Akol Paul Kordit denied the government forces were behind the attack.
"I have no information regarding the alleged killing of any activist. And for anyone to think or put the blame on government soldiers, this is baseless and should point fingers somewhere else,” Kordit told Anadolu Agency.
"Government soldiers don't target human rights activists; they are mandated by the constitution to protect citizens. What I know is that there are criminals who have been targeting people," he added.
South Sudan has been consumed by a brutal cycle of violence that has so far claimed the lives of tens of thousands of people and displaced 2.4 million from their homes.
A power-sharing unity government seeking to end almost three years of civil war characterized by human rights abuses and atrocities was put in place this April between South Sudanese President Salva Kiir and ex-rebel leader Riek Machar, before fighting flared anew inJuly and Machar fled the country.
