The four top US lawmakers for foreign affairs on Tuesday warned South Sudan it must improve its human rights record, voicing fear the young country is headed toward instability.
The United States has been a leading political supporter and donor to South Sudan, which became independent in 2011 after decades of three decades of fighting with Khartoum.
In a letter to President Salva Kiir, the US lawmakers called themselves “strong supporters of South Sudan” but said they would be “remiss to not share our concerns.”
The lawmakers voiced alarm over reports that the Sudan People’s Liberation Army, the former rebels, have engaged in “gross human rights violations” against civilians, especially ethnic Murle, in the eastern state of Jonglei.
“You fought against a regime that sought to destroy populations based upon their ethnic identity, and to engage in such practices now betrays the spirit in which the country of South Sudan was born and the historical basis for the United States’ support,” the letter said.
Unless the country implements changes, “we fear South Sudan may be headed toward a longer and entrenched period of instability,” it said.
The letter was signed by Senator Robert Menendez, the Democrat who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Representative Ed Royce, the Republican head of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, along with the top member from the opposing party on both committees.
More than 100,000 civilians have been cut off from aid in Jonglei due to the fighting, according to the United Nations and aid groups.
The US lawmakers urged Kiir to reassign commanders in the east of the country and hold forces accountable for human rights violations.
The letter also called for unrestricted humanitarian access and an end to South Sudan’s restrictions on UN personnel.
Secretary of State John Kerry also voiced concerns to Kiir in a telephone call last month.
Congress controls US funding. The United States promised nearly $620 million to impoverished South Sudan in the 2012 fiscal year.
US lawmakers warn South Sudan on rights
