South Sudan’s troubles as a young country have been in plain sight for a decade now. But new findings say frequent human rights violations have weakened its institutions to the brink of state collapse.

The details are contained in a UN Commission on Human Rights report on South Sudan which has listed unchecked mass violence and entrenched repression in South Sudan as immediate threats to the prospects of durable peace.

The country is in the middle of an election plan; whose tentative schedule is for December this year. But officials had already sounded alarm on lack of funds. Institutional weaknesses will add to the challenge to a country struggling to hold its first ever elections independence era.

The situational report says the country’s media and civil society groups operate under intolerable conditions that stifle democratic space for the population at large, which limits expansive civic space needed for a free and fair elections. Members of the Commission presented their report today to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva last week on Thursday.

Commission Chair, Yasmin Sooka said their investigations, again, found an unacceptable situation in South Sudan, whereby families and communities are devastated by human rights violations and abuses by armed forces, militias, and State institutions acting with impunity.

“The drivers of violence and repression are well known, and while commitments have been made to address them, we continue to see a lack of political will to implement the measures necessary to improve millions of lives,” said Mr Sooka.