UN envoy urges Security Council to endorse deployment of IGAD forces in South Sudan
September 18, 2018 (NEW YORK) – The outgoing United Nations Special Envoy for Sudan and South Sudan Tuesday has supported the deployment of IGAD forces in South Sudan within the UN peacekeeping force saying only the region can fill the remaining security gaps in the deal.
Also, during a briefing to the Security Council on South Sudan, he pointed out that there is a number of gaps and unfinished issues but stressed that the deal still can be an effective platform for peace ” if the parties demonstrate the political will to implement it”.
He asserted that what is important is the enforceability of the security arrangements and particularly the forces unification process which needs a special attention.
“Important details are lacking and the parties may have a different understanding on how the unification of forces will take place,” he said.
To better give an idea about the situation he said there is no agreement on the number of cantonment sites, where it will be established or who will be responsible for sustaining them.
“This is notwithstanding that today marks “D-Day plus 6”, Cantonment is contemplated to be completed by “D-Day plus 30″,” he added.
The South African diplomat who has a long international career in the conflict resolutions, reconciliations and democratic reforms processes stressed that what is missing here to ensure the enforceability of the agreement is that there is no penalty or other consequences on the violators of the ceasefire agreement.
“Here we believe that the region must demonstrate a commitment to make the agreement work including by confronting spoilers even if it is the government of South Sudan,” he said.
So, the deployment of IGAD forces from Sudan and Uganda and later on from Djibouti and Somalia was perceived as a treatment of the security gap in the peace agreement, he explained.
” In the last days, a proposal to have Sudan and Uganda fill this gap transformed into a proposal to have Uganda, Sudan, Djibouti and Somalia incorporated into the UNMISS Regional Protection Force (RPF),” Hansom told the Security Council.
He underscored that only the 15-member body can decide on the size and composition of the international peacekeeping forces.
Before to add that “Such an engagement would allow this council to engage on the security architecture including the provision of specialist VIP personnel as well as the geography of disengagement which would provide a more conducive environment for a peacekeeping intervention”.
In his intervention, the special envoy pointed to the scepticism of the Troika countries which support the peace process say “they have shown no appetite to fund this process unless there is a clear provision to ensure transparency and propriety in financial transactions including accountability for past misappropriations of public funds”
He also said the international community must acknowledge the role of the Sudan “supported by Uganda” and its efforts en achieve this deal.
South Sudanese Ambassador Akuei Bona Malwal said his government is aware of the difficulties facing the implementation of the agreement.
However, he called for the international support to the stressed that its concerns “should not be allowed to undermine the Agreement itself or its implementation”.
“We would like to appeal to the international community to (…) signal signs of encouragement and support to the political leadership as they embark on the difficult task of implementing the peace and reuniting the communities in South Sudan,” said Malwal.
(ST)