UN chief vows to support S. Sudan peace revitalization forum
October 17, 2017 (JUBA) – The head of the United Nations in South Sudan, David Shearer has pledged to support the revitalization of the peace process, commending President Salva Kiir and his administration for accepting to participate in the process without conditions.
Shearer made these remarks on Tuesday during a meeting with the South Sudanese leader in the capital, Juba. Also in attendance was the UNMISS deputy head and Resident Coordinator Alain Noudehou.
The meeting, according to Shearer, was organized to introduce to the president his new deputy and the members of his administration.
He described the meeting with Kiir as “important” and “vital”, focusing on humanitarian and capacity building issues in the war-torn nation.
Shearer said the UN mission will cooperate with the government to stem out unauthorized activities in the protection of civilian camps.
However, the senior UN official did not elaborate on unauthorized activities hinted on. In the past, South Sudanese authorities have accused the UN of harbouring individuals in possession of illicit arms.
Meanwhile, Noudehou said the mission will offer all the necessary work and do what is expected of the UN as well as the rest of team.
The UN delegation, he said, discussed with the president the challenges facing the nation, citing humanitarian issues, but vowed to continue working together with the government in order to try and find the best solutions for the people in need of assistance.
We also talked about different opportunities and difficulties on how to serve the people of South Sudan in terms of humanitarian issues, added Noudehou.
According to the deputy head of UNMISS, the UN mission and its country team are currently designing a responsive humanitarian plan that will encompass matters on how humanitarian actors can work with local communities in order to better decide what should be the priorities for humanitarian action in the next year.
He expressed commitment to work with government and other institutions.
In June, a summit of IGAD heads of state and government decided that meeting of the signatories of the South Sudan peace agreement to discuss ways to revitalize the peace implementation be convened. During the June summit, it was agreed that all groups be included in the discussion aimed at restoring a permanent ceasefire.
IGAD unveiled the timetable for the revitalization forum with South Sudanese leaders and the nation’s citizens. The process began on 13 October and ends on 17 October.
South Sudan government earlier warned that the revitalization forum by the regional bloc which mediated the 2015 peace accord, should not be another platform for negotiations of the peace accord between the two factions to the conflict.
Over a million people have fled South Sudan since conflict erupted in December 2013 when President Salva Kiir sacked Machar from the vice-presidency. Tens of thousands of people have been killed and nearly two million displaced in South Sudan’s worst ever violence since it seceded from Sudan in July 2011.
(ST)