South Sudan risks full-fledged to implement peace deal: activist

September 17, 2021 (NEW YORK) – Despite consensus by key signatories on a road map to complete South Sudan’s democratic transition to elections and the formation of a new government, the country risks an all-out  civil war over delays to implement the peace deal, an activist told the United Nations Security Council.

While briefing a meeting of the UN Security Council on Friday, Lilian Riziq, President of the South Sudan Women Empowerment Network (SSWEN) said that failure of the peace process in South Sudan coupled with the subsequent extension of transition deadlines will lead to an inevitable outbreak of civil war inflicting further suffering of civilians.

The 2018 peace deal signed between the key players in South Sudan’s long-running civil war, meant to provide a road map for durable peace has brought only some progress towards implementing the agreement.

However, most of the goals set out in the 2018 peace deal towards a democratic transition remain unachieved largely over political disputes, corruption, inter-communal conflicts, economic hardships and a deteriorating humanitarian situation.

Riziq said the power-sharing agreement has neither ended the violence nor delivered the much-awaited reforms.

“The situation in South Sudan is unsustainable. The whole country is breaking down,” she warned adding that there was “rampant insecurity” and enforced displacement of civilians.

“Women and girls are routinely subjected to sexual violence,” she said, citing to a joint human rights report  published by UNMISS and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

The  joint human rights report, released on September  6, 2022 documented horrific gender-based violations and abuses of human rights in South Sudan.

The report documented 131 cases of rape and gang rape, including girls as young as eight years old and a  nine‐year‐old girl who was gang‐raped to death.

The South Sudanese activist added that the recent graduation of unified security forces by the so-called revitalized transitional government had failed to bring about stability.

“The current government has failed to carry out its mandate, including implementing the peace agreement and protecting civilians from state corruption and misuse of resources, especially oil revenue.”

“Therefore, extending the current government’s term despite its failure to engender peace, democracy and development will prolong the suffering of ordinary citizens.”

“In fact, the extension of the term of the government without an inclusive participation of civil society and other political and social groups will entrench the parties and encourage the government to remain in power,” she added.

Riziq warned that delays would lead to violence and an outbreak of a fully-fledged war.

“The war will lead to a total collapse of South Sudan,” she said further urging the international community to support calls for a “broad-based process to ensure the inclusivity of South Sudan’s transition to peace, democracy and development.”

“In this regard, we support the Fordham University initiative to convene a broad-based meeting on South Sudan as a follow-up to the roundtable discussion held in New York on June 3, 2023,” she said.

Last month, South Sudan extended transitional government to stay in power by additional by two years delaying elections scheduled for December this year, raising concerns among Western nations supporting its peace process.

On his part, Nicholas Haysom, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for South Sudan and Head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) said that although key provisions of the Agreement are set to end by February, the parties agreed in August on a Roadmap that extends the current transitional period by 24 months.

He welcomed the development but reminded that “there is no alternative to the implementation of the peace agreement”.

“Let me underscore that the roadmap is a way point, not an end point”, he said.

He said the extension of the transitional period has been met with mixed emotions from many South Sudanese who had hoped that they would be voting by now.

The UNMISS chief stressed the importance of an inclusive political process and the opening of civic spaces as “essential conditions” for a robust and competitive electoral process.

He further outlined some steps underway – from President Salva Kiir and first Vice-President Riek Machar’s agreement to resolve the parliamentary impasse, to the graduation of the first class of joint armed forces recruits – for which budgetary resources, integration and deployment, are vital to  allow a broader security sector transformation.

“Failure to address these critical issues…has the potential to reverse the gains made,” Mr Haysom warned.

He asserted that the next few months would be “a litmus test” for the parties to demonstrate their commitment to the Roadmap, warning against “delays and setbacks”.

In closing, the Special Representative reaffirmed the importance of the international community’s support.

“Our collective task now is to support the parties in fulfilling their obligations to the people of South Sudan as per the timing of the Roadmap,” he added.

During Thursday’s meeting of the Security Council delegates heard that South Sudan was one of the most dangerous places to be an aid worker in 2021, with 319 violent incidents recorded against humanitarian workers and assets in the country.

According to the UN report, five aid workers were killed in 2021 and five more have died since the beginning of this year.

Despite efforts by the UN Mission in South Sudan to bring about sustainable peace, Haysom detailed continued outbreaks of inter-communal violence.

(ST)