MEDIA STATEMENT

18 February 2026

Seven leading organisations fighting to end statelessness and advancing gender equal nationality rights globally and in Africa expressed serious concern today about the case of Ms. Animu A. Risasi, a former South Sudanese Member of Parliament who was arbitrarily stripped of her nationality by the Government of South Sudan.

In 2018, Ms. Animu’s South Sudanese passport and nationality certificate were arbitrarily withdrawn on unsubstantiated claims that she was a Ugandan citizen, without following any of the procedures set out in law. This action left Ms. Animu in a situation of prolonged statelessness, costing her a seat in parliament and exposing her to harassment, detention, and immense personal hardship.

“The continued silence and inaction from the South Sudanese authorities at every level in addressing this injustice has been deeply painful and has unfairly defined and confined my life for years. Prolonged statelessness is not an abstract legal question—it is a daily existence shaped by fear, uncertainty, humiliation, and the constant ache of not belonging anywhere. No one should have to endure such a profound and lasting cost simply to be recognised as who they are.” Ms. Animu A. Risasi

The Global Movement Against Statelessness (GMAS), the Institute on Statelessness and Inclusion (ISI), the Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa (IHRDA), the Southern African Nationality Network (SANN), the Eastern Africa Nationality Network (EANN), the Pan African Nationality Network (PANN), and Equality Now condemn this injustice, and call on the Government of South Sudan to reverse its decision and restore Ms. Animu’s nationality, in accordance with their obligations under national, African, and international law.

In August 2024, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (African Commission) adopted a clear and authoritative decision finding that the Government of South Sudan had arbitrarily deprived Ms. Animu of her nationality, in violation of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights. The African Commission ordered the Government to restore her nationality and associated documentation, reinstate her rights, provide compensation, ensure no repetition of such abuses, and train officials on the right to nationality and prevention of statelessness.

Despite the clarity of this decision, the Government has so far failed to take any meaningful steps towards implementation. This continued inaction not only prolongs the harm suffered by Ms. Animu, but also undermines the authority of the African human rights system and the rule of law.

“If the African Commission’s decisions can be ignored without consequence, the entire architecture of human rights protection on our continent is weakened. South Sudan’s continued inaction is not only a failure toward Ms. Animu, but also a violation of its binding obligations under the African Charter. Compliance is not optional — it is a legal obligation.”  Dr. Musa Kika (Executive Director, IHRDA)

Ms. Animu’s case illustrates a wider systemic issue of arbitrary nationality stripping that threatens to exacerbate statelessness across Africa. Nationality should never be used as a political weapon. Yet the Special Rapporteur of the African Commission on Refugees, Asylum Seekers, and Internally Displaced Persons and Migrant in Africa notes that “the forfeiture of nationality for political reasons” remains a disturbing practice in some states.  Nationality is a “gateway right”. Without it, individuals are denied access to education, healthcare, employment, political participation, and legal protection.

This case also highlights the urgent importance of regional action to prevent statelessness. In February 2024, the African Union adopted the Protocol on the Specific Aspects of the Right to a Nationality and the Eradication of Statelessness in Africa. The Protocol provides a clear framework to prevent arbitrary nationality deprivation and to ensure that every person has a right to a nationality. Yet, two years after its adoption, no state has ratified it.

We call for immediate action to address this injustice and prevent future cases of statelessness in Africa. In particular:

• We urge the Government of South Sudan led by H.E President Salva Kiir Mayardit to immediately implement the African Commission decision by reinstating Ms. Animu’s South Sudanese nationality and associated documents, restoring her position and rights, and providing appropriate compensation for the harm she has endured. The initial 180-day compliance period lapsed on 26 January 2026. We further demand that the Government uphold due process in all nationality matters, in line with its own laws, regional obligations under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa (Maputo Protocol), and international obligations under the 1954 and 1961 UN Statelessness Conventions as well as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).
• We remind all African governments that nationality is a fundamental human right, not a tool of reprisal. We echo the African Commission’s reminder that nationality revocation without due process is arbitrary and unlawful. States must be held accountable when they violate these principles.
• We urgently call upon UNHCR, in accordance with its mandate to protect stateless persons and to promote and advocate for their rights, to take immediate, concrete, and coordinated action to support Ms. Animu in bringing her prolonged situation of statelessness to an end.  We urge UNHCR to promptly and constructively engage with the Government of South Sudan, in coordination with other relevant UN institutions and the African Union Mission in South Sudan, and to provide targeted technical and capacity-building to facilitate the Government’s implementation of the African Commission’s decision and compliance with its international obligations under the 1954 and 1961 UN Statelessness Conventions.
• We stress the importance of the new African Union Protocol on the Specific Aspects of the Right to Nationality and the Eradication of Statelessness in Africa. We join the African Commission in urging all African Union member states to accelerate ratification so the Protocol can enter into force. Fifteen ratifications are needed for the treaty to become binding, and achieving this milestone is both a practical and moral imperative.

Together, we underscore that the right to nationality is non-negotiable. We will continue to advocate on behalf of Ms. Animu and the countless others whose right to nationality is denied or at risk. We urge the African Union, regional bodies, and international partners to support these efforts to hold states accountable.

Media enquiries or expressions of interest:

GMAS – Thandeka Chauke

Email: thandeka@againststatelessness.com

IHRDA – Maimouna Jallow

Email: mjallow@ihrda.org

ISI – Tiana Xavier

Email: tiana.xavier@institutesi.org

Equality Now – Michelle Tuva 

Email: mtuva@equalitynow.org