UN Security Council delegation to visit Juba on Sunday

October 15, 2019 (JUBA) – A delegation from the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) will visit South Sudan on Sunday, the world body said on Tuesday.

The high-level delegation, UN mission in South Sudan announced, will be in Juba to support political processes aimed at forming a unity government.

According to the UN, the high-level delegation of its Security Council members to Juba will be led by South Africa and the United States.

The delegation, it said, will meet with President Salva Kiir and other signatories to the 2018 peace accord, civil society actors, women’s representatives and other stakeholders in the peace process.

Edmund Yakani, an activist, said the Security Council members should focus on generating political needed for genuine implementation of the peace accord among South Sudan’s parties.

“The factors that hinder genuine implementation of the peace agreement (R-ARCSS) are mainly centred on the following; inadequate and timely release of funds from the national basket, absence of political will for making political decisions on matters such as resolution of the boundaries and number of the states, incorporation of the R-ARCSS into the Transitional Constitution 2011 amended 2015, enforcement of the affirmative action of at least 35% for women including distribution of ministerial polios,” he said.

Yakani said the Security Council delegation should ensure that South Sudanese parties take decisions that can easily be implementable.

“Among issues that United Nation Security council should secure practical are; inadequate and timely release of funds from the national basket, absence of political will for making political decisions on matters such as resolution of the boundaries and number of the states, incorporation of the R-ARCSS into the Transitional Constitution 2011 amended 2015,” he stressed.

Last week, the United Nations Security Council appealed to the parties to the revitalized peace agreement in South Sudan to continue meeting regularly to resolve outstanding substantive issues needed for the formation of a transitional national unity government.

South Sudan descended into war in December 2013 when President Salva Kiir accused his former deputy Riek Machar of plotting a coup, allegations the latter dismissed.

In September 2018, the rival factions involved in the conflict signed a peace deal to end the conflict that has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced over 2 million people in the country

(ST)