UN warns Sudan over hate speech

South Sudan could erupt in violence if leaders do not stop spreading hate messages, a United Nations(UN) official has warned.

UN Special Representative Hilde Johnson cautioned against the spread of such messages saying they will hamper the seven-month old country’s efforts to grow.

“Threats were made to wipe out an entire ethnic group from the face of the earth. Such statements are in violation of both international law and South Sudan’s domestic laws,” she told reporters in Juba on Thursday.

Such hate messages have recently been reported in the Jonglei State, north of Juba, the capital of South Sudan.

However, the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) said the messages are prevalent across the country.

Ms Johnson urged all community leaders to halt the hate rhetoric and advised the South Sudanese government to provide security and punish the culprits as a deterrent to any future violence.

Rise of militias

The mission also warned that individual militia groups have sprouted and predicted that the stability of the region will depend on how successful South Sudan deals with the challenges it is facing.

South Sudan officially seceded from the Sudan in July last year following a successful referendum six months earlier. Consequently, the UN created UNMISS through a security council resolution.
Its aim was to help the country start its integration with the international community and its government to lead “effectively and democratically.”
Recently, its Council of Ministers passed key Bills; the Political Parties Act and the Elections Act which their Parliament will have to endorse before they become laws.

The country was also admitted to the UN five days after its creation and joined the Africa Union two weeks later.