Dire economic situation fueling criminality among youth: UN chief
March 7, 2022 (NEW YORK) – The dire economic situation and its impact on youth has resulted in a surge in criminality and xenophobic hostility towards humanitarians and peacekeepers, Nicholas Haysom, the head of the United Nations Mission (UNMISS) told the Security Council on Monday.
His remarks came barely a month after South Sudan marked the second anniversary of the Transitional Government of National Unity formation.
“it is crucial that these important concerns are taken into consideration in our overall response and addressed in a manner that acknowledges the voice of the youth, while manifesting zero tolerance for violence directed at humanitarians,” said Haysom.
He said the UN mission is supporting the development of the National Action Plan for Youth Peace and Security (YPS) in partnership with the South Sudan National Check. YPs is a group of 30 national civil society organizations.
“The government must create the prospect of a future for South Sudan’s young men and women,” he stressed.
The top UN official expressed concerns over the perennial conflicts in Jonglei and Greater Pibor Administrative Area as well as emerging cross border conflicts in Northern Bahr el Ghazal, Unity and Upper Nile States, and the Abyei Administrative Area, stressing that it underscores the need to liberate South Sudan from the repetitive cycles of violence and revenge.
“This is fuelled by national and local political competition involving non-signatory armed groups, intra SPLM/A-IO clashes, and community disputes over land and resources, including those induced by climate change,” he said.
The Special Representative of the Secretary-General further noted an “accumulation of unfulfilled commitments and the imperative to address them in the limited time at hand”.
“As we enter the remaining twelve months of the transitional period, even if we acknowledge some progress, we are mindful of the accumulation of unfulfilled commitments and the imperative to address them in the limited time at hand,” Haysom said.
“Key pending benchmarks relate to the necessary conducive political and civic space, a secure environment, and technical and logistical pre-requisites along with an agreed timetable for a free and fair electoral process to bring the transitional period to a close,” he added.
According Haysom, while UN mission stands ready to support the electoral process, the government has neither pronounced its role nor on a timeframe for the elections.
“Critically, the Constitution-Making Process Bill is still pending, and the process of drafting a new constitution for the country remains stalled,” he explained, adding, “Likewise, even though the parties remain engaged in the transitional security arrangements, the actual graduation of unified forces is yet to commence, with no agreement on the command structure.
In a related development, Charles Tai Gituai, the interim chairperson of the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (R-JMEC) of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) also briefed the Security Council on the implementation of the 2018 peace agreement.
He said that the accord has entered its fourth year, an indication of comparative success, compared with the previous 2015 agreement, which did not hold due to armed conflict that broke out within one year of signing.
Gituai said R-JMEC has tasked the unity government to review implementation status and develop a clear road map and strategy on how to complete the outstanding critical tasks before the transitional period ends in 2023.
“The road map should be consensus-based, with verifiable benchmarks and timelines,” he stressed.
South Sudan has been engulfed in ethnic violence since December 2013 when forces loyal to President Salva Kiir battled those loyal to former Vice President, Riek Machar. The civil war that broke out left an estimated 400,000 dead and millions displaced.
(ST)