A/HRC/51/47 17. South Sudan 61. During the reporting period, the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) Human Rights Division documented four incidents of reprisals or intimidation for actual or perceived cooperation with the United Nations. The cases were allegedly perpetrated by the National Security Services (NSS) and the South Sudan Peoples Defence Force (SSPDF) Military Intelligence (MI) with the reported aim of impeding the sharing of human rights reports or information with the United Nations. Names and details of those affected are withheld for fear of further reprisals. 62. One incident took place in October and December 2021 when UNMISS Human Rights Division in Juba and Wau was requested to obtain written authorization from NSS to conduct human rights activities with civil society actors, and produce the agenda and list of participants. UNMISS engaged with the NSS who informed that there is a Directive requiring NSS to be notified of all workshops/trainings and conferences taking place in hotels for clearance, and to know content of discussions. Reportedly, the Directive does not exempt UNMISS or United Nations entities from this procedure, hence all programs of any trainings/workshops conducted by any UNMISS or any United Nations agency must be submitted in advance. Failure to do so could reportedly lead to the cancellation of the activity. As UNMISS does not share with the Government information such as agenda and/or list of participants of events it organizes, it requested for a copy of the new Directive, but to no avail. 63. A second incident took place in Juba and involved the arbitrary arrest of seven journalists by NSS officers for covering a press conference with members of parliament on 22 February 2022. The journalists were reportedly locked up in room by an NSS official who stated that they were illegally covering a press conference, made them delete their recordings, and threatened them to desist from publishing any news on the press conference. Upon release, the journalists were reportedly threatened with re-arrest if they shared information with the United Nations and international partners. 64. A third incident took place on 28 March 2022 when SSPDF soldiers interrupted a United Nations community meeting and prevented a 28-year-old student from assisting the United Nations team with interpretation. As the United Nations convoy left the area, the military took the student to their headquarters in the area and held him in the premises for nine days. During this time, the student was reportedly interrogated and forced to admit accusations of being a spy and collaborator to opponents of the government. The soldiers took his personal belongings, including a phone. Apart from verbal threats, the student was not physically harmed and was later released. 65. A fourth incident involved the physical assault and threats to one individual after sharing information with UNMISS team in Juba, on 29 March 2022. Following a brief meeting with UNMISS, the victim was reportedly followed by SSPDF Military Intelligence agents who stopped him, ordered him to surrender his phone, and held him in custody for a few hours. Allegedly, after searching his phone, the victim was severely beaten and his mobile phone and money confiscated. Following UNMISS advocacy, the victim was released. 66. Beyond these incidents, since August 2021, the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan and UNMISS47 have documented the increased suppression by government security forces of civil society actor’s voices and activities, including for their cooperation with the United Nations. UNMISS received reports of individuals being photographed, surveilled, or whose movements, phones or social media posts were recorded or monitored without their consent at, or during travel to, United Nations meetings. Both the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan and UNMISS reported extensive physical and electronic surveillance, intimidation, arbitrary arrest and detention by security forces, which underpins a climate of fear deterring victims and witnesses from contacting or engaging with the UN and fostering self-censorship. 47 A/HRC/49/78, paras. 22–29; S/2022/156 para. 63; and S/2021/566, para. 69. 29