“Window of opportunity” closing for South Sudan, says UN chief

June 20, 2022 (NEW YORK) – The window of opportunity for South Sudan to meet critical benchmarks required to complete its transition from civil wars is closing with eight months remaining, a top United Nation official said.

Nicholas Haysom, the head of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) made the remarks while addressing the Security Council on Monday.

He urged parties that signed the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan implement the accord in letter and spirit.

“This includes the full and proper participation of women in all the mechanisms contemplated by the [Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in South Sudan]”, Haysom told the Security Council.

The top UN official, however, said progress has been made despite delays.

He highlighted the fact that the parties in South Sudan overcame a critical impasse to reach a breakthrough agreement on a single joint command structure for the Necessary Unified Forces on 3 April. The formation of the reconstituted transitional legislature at national and state levels, is now completed, and renewed legislative activity and debate is noticeable.

“The fact that at least some of the political differences are fought out in Parliament rather than outside of it, is a welcome development,” he said.

According to Haysom, the National Constitutional Amendment Committee’s (NCAC) recent mandate extension will now allow for the review of the National Elections Act – a prerequisite for launching the electoral and legislative frameworks – Parliament’s adoption of a national budget for the year 2021/22, after a nine-month delay, will allow for more advances.

“What is needed is national leadership, resources and a visible commitment by South Sudan’s leaders to fulfil their responsibilities under the peace agreement,” he stressed.

Haysom urged parties to take steps necessary to exit the transitional period.

The Special Representative of the Secretary General also appealed to the parties to agree on a roadmap proposed by the African Union, the regional bloc (IGAD), the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission as well as the UN, for the completion of outstanding tasks.

These, Haysom stressed, include the graduation and deployment of the Necessary Unified Forces, the approval of pending legislation for the constitution-making process and national elections, and critical reforms of the security, judicial and financial sectors.

“The sheer magnitude of the tasks ahead requires the international community’s full and unrestricted attention”, he noted.

Meanwhile the senior UN official described as “alarming” the scale of sub-national conflict, which now spreads from north to south and east to west.

“In Eastern and Central Equatoria, Unity, Warrap, and Jonglei states, as well as the Abyei Administrative Area, violence has been perpetrated against civilians, fueling a cycle of cattle raiding, abductions, revenge killings, and gender-based violence, including conflict-related sexual violence,” he said.

This year, Haysom said, more than 80 per cent of civilian casualties have been attributed to intercommunal violence and community-based militias.

“This violence divides communities and hampers reconciliation. Peace spoilers, too, have proven adept at instrumentalizing these conflicts for their own interests,” he noted.

UNMISS, its head assured, continues to deploy an increasingly mobile and robust posture, even amidst challenging terrain and weather conditions.

(ST)