South Sudan called on to protect human rights

"South Sudan is a new country but that is all the more reason why it should set itself firmly on the side of respecting human rights," Daniel Bekele, Africa director at Human Rights Watch, said in a Friday statement representing a consortium of rights groups.

"South Sudan's leadership should make a public commitment to improve its human rights record ahead of the elections and put its promises into effect before February, when the winners will take their seats."

South Sudan is one of the five African countries competing for four open seats on the U.N. Human Rights Council. An election for the open seats is scheduled Tuesday.

Human Rights Watch joined international and South Sudanese rights groups in issuing the appeal.

They said in a letter to South Sudanese President Salva Kiir, also Friday, that justice should be served for people suspected of arbitrary arrests and extrajudicial killings in the world's newest country.

More than 95 people were allegedly killed by South Sudan's military in Jonglei state during 2013 clashes.

The rights groups said there's "an ongoing lack of accountability for inter-communal crimes" in Jonglei state and elsewhere in the country.