The African Union Commission (AUC) has appointed Nigeria’s former President, Olusegun Obasanjo to head its five-member Commission of Inquiry into the human right abuses in the Republic of South Sudan.
The inquiry is to cover the over two month’s violent period in that country.
The AU Chairperson, Dr Dlamini Zuma, made the announcement on Friday in Addis Ababa.
Other members include the newly appointed AU Special Envoy for Women, Peace and Security, Mrs Binta Diop, Dr Pacifique Manirakiza, a Professor of International Law.
Also, Ghana’s former Supreme Court Judge, Ms Justice Sophia Akuffo, who is the President of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights Arusha, Tanzania and Prof. Mahmood Mamdani of Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.
Zuma, said the authority was mandated to set up the commission by the Banjul AU-Peace and Security Council declaration and the Assembly of Heads of State and Government in December last year.
She said that the commission has a mandated period of three months to report progress of the situation but without a limited time to complete the assignment under the financial support from the AU commission.
Zuma reiterated AU’s strong support for the African mediation on South Sudan led by IGAD and commended the Mediation Team for its sustained efforts and continued commitment in the search for a solution to the current conflict.
The UN Human Right organ had said that more than 200,000 persons mostly women and children were killed, while over 500,000 others were displaced in the first month of violence in the oil rich country. (NAN)
