A/HRC/45/36 National Security Services (NSS) and the Military Intelligence department of South Sudan People’s Defence Forces, continue to threaten, arbitrarily arrest, detain and ill-treat individuals and organizations for their cooperation or perceived cooperation with the UN.87 Further, access issues impact the peacekeeping mission’s ability to monitor and report human rights violations and UNMISS asserts that, when reporting in some cases, “numbers are likely under-representative of the full scale of the crisis.”88 Names and details of those concerned cannot be put forward for fear of further reprisals. 114. During the reporting period, UNMISS received reports of six 89 incidents targeting persons perceived as informing or providing information on human rights violations. On one occasion, NSS personnel harassed, arbitrarily arrested and detained for several hours four local community members, who provided information on human rights violations and abuses to the UN. They were released after receiving a warning not to share any information with again. 115. In other situations, NSS elements intimidated and coerced local authorities into revealing information on meetings held with UN entities. Dressed in plain clothes, they reportedly also infiltrated meetings, community gatherings, or awareness-raising activities organized by the UN, to monitor and intimidate participants. In one particular instance, two male civilians were arbitrarily arrested and detained by the NSS after they had expressed their views in a UN-led forum on peace. In another reported incident, representatives of the Military Intelligence department arbitrarily arrested, detained and ill-treated a civilian after the individual had complained about human rights violations by government forces during a public forum facilitated by the UN. 116. Local community leaders and traditional authorities are also reportedly subject to intimidation and reprisals. For instance, a community leader received death threats from government security forces after holding a closed meeting with UNMISS on the implementation of the revitalized peace agreement. Two civilians also received death threats from unidentified armed elements after sharing with UNMISS the case of human rights violations against a minor. 117. As in past reporting periods, incidents of intimidation or reprisal against individuals cooperating with UN are believed to be underreported due to widespread self-censorship. In the context of COVID-19, several sources have reported that they did not feel comfortable to discuss sensitive issues over the phone with the UN, out of fear of being monitored. 118. In a March 2020 resolution, the Security Council “strongly condemned the continued obstruction of UNMISS by the Government of South Sudan (GoSS) and opposition groups, including … restrictions on patrols and UNMISS efforts to … monitor human rights conditions” (S/RES/2514(2020)). Many of these restrictions were reported by the Secretary-General as violations of the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA).90 119. Pertaining to meetings that UNMISS holds with partners on its premises, the Security Council “condemn[ed] in the strongest terms attacks on and threats made to UNMISS personnel and United Nations facilities … [and] demand[ed] that all parties … immediately desist and refrain from any violence against those gathered at United Nations facilities (para. 25).” In relation to the Security Council sanctions committee, the Council urged all parties and Member States to ensure cooperation with the Panel of Experts on South Sudan including “unhindered access, in particular to persons, documents and sites in order for the Panel of Experts to execute its mandate (para. 24).” 87 88 89 90 See also A/HRC/42/30, Annex II, paras. 96–98; A/HRC/39/41, Annex I, paras. 100–102. See for example UNMISS, Conflict-related Violations and Abuses in Central Equatoria, September 2018-April 2019 (July 2019), para. 116, https://unmiss.unmissions.org/sites/default/files/final__human_rights_division_report_on_central_equatoria_-_3_july_2019_0.pdf. Three incidents involving four victims (Western Equatoria); one incident involving two victims (Eastern Equatoria); one incident involving four victims (Western Bahr el Ghazal); and one incident involving one victim (Central Equatoria). See S/2019/491, paras. 76–82; S/2019/722, paras. 87–91; S/2019/936, paras. 59, 86–91; and S/2020/145, paras. 87–92. 43