S. Sudan summons U.S envoy over anti-Kiir remarks
January 27, 2018 (JUBA) – The United States envoy to South Sudan, Michael Morrow was on Friday summoned over remarks in which its representative to the United Nations, Nikki Haley reportedly described President Salva Kiir as an “unfit” partner in the peace process.
“The government of South Sudan is increasingly proving itself to be an unfit partner for this Council and any country seeking peace and security for the people of South Sudan,” she told the Security Council, citing reports of the ceasefire monitors holding government forces responsible for violations, despite a cessation of hostilities deal.
But the undersecretary in the foreign affairs ministry, Bak Valentino Wol, criticized Haley’s statement, saying it could affect relations between the two nations.
“We have just concluded our meeting with the US charge d‘affaires, he tried to explain why Nikki Haley made that strongly-worded statement at the council. We also shared with him and asked him to convey to his government with a protest note,” he told Radio Tamajuz.
“Ambassador Nikki Haley seems to forget that the Republic of South Sudan is a sovereign state, and its leadership and the Transitional Government of National Unity deserves respect. Ambassador Nikki Haley made many undue inflammatory and defamatory remarks on the situation in South Sudan, including her uncalled for idea of arms embargo,” he added.
One of the countries that recognized South Sudan’s independence on 9 July, 2011, the US played a key role in helping create the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) that laid the groundwork for the 2011 referendum on self-determination, through which the people of South Sudan overwhelmingly voted for independence.
Currently, the US government remains the leading international donor to South Sudan, and provides significant humanitarian assistance to the hundreds of thousands of South Sudanese citizens displaced or otherwise affected since the start of the country’s crisis in December 2013.
(ST)