Amnesty International recorded at least 690 executions in 20 countries in 2018, a decrease of 31% compared to 2017 (at least 993), representing the lowest number of executions that the rights body has recorded in the past decade.

The 2018 global review of the death penalty report released on Wednesday indicates an overall global decline in executions particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa from over 900 in 2017 to 690 in 2018.

Despite the downward trend worldwide, South Sudan is highlighted for carrying out a ‘surge in executions’ over the past year.

The report says up to 15 people were allegedly executed in the country from 2018 until the first three months of 2019.

Amnesty International’s advisor on the death penalty, Oluwatosin Popoola spoke to Agole Alex to put this into perspective.