On August 2, 2025, the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights communicated its landmark decision in Afekuru Animu Risasi Amitai v Republic of South Sudan. The Commission found that South Sudan had arbitrarily deprived Ms Animu of her nationality without due process, violating the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights. It ordered the Government to restore her nationality and passport and adopt measures to prevent similar violations. One year later, the decision remains unimplemented, and South Sudan has yet to submit the implementation report required by the Commission.
The decision speaks to far more than one woman's experience. While Ms Animu continues to await justice, thousands of South Sudanese remain vulnerable to arbitrary deprivation of nationality or unable to prove the citizenship to which they are entitled. The decision should therefore serve as a catalyst for addressing one of South Sudan's most pressing yet overlooked human rights challenges: statelessness.
