Reports of the United Nations Mission on Sudan and South Sudan

Harold_Agyeman_Sudan and South Sudan

BRIEFING ON THE UNITED NATIONS MISSION IN SOUTH SUDAN

 

Madam President,
I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the members of the A3 namely Gabon, Kenya, and Ghana. We thank SRSG Nicholas Haysom, His Excellency Michel Biang, Permanent Representative of Gabon and Chair of the 2206 Sanctions Committee, and Ambassador (Maj. Gen.) Charles Tai Gituai, the Acting Chairperson of the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission, for their briefings. I also welcome the participation of our brother, Ambassador Akuei Bona, Permanent Representative of South Sudan.

 

Madam President,
The A3 has always stood in solidarity with the people of South Sudan, whose patience and resilience have been tested and overstretched by political uncertainty, conflict, and economic hardships. We remain fully cognizant of their sobering history and their unrelenting quest to overcome the formidable security, political, and socio-economic challenges they face. Our statement will focus on four issues: (i) the implementation of the Revitalized Agreement on the resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan; (ii) the transitional security arrangements; (iii) the humanitarian and economic situation; and (iv) the activities of UNMISS.

The A3 welcomes the steady progress made by the South Sudanese parties in the implementation of the Revitalized Peace Agreement. We welcome the decisions by the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission, and the Reconstituted Transitional National Legislative Assembly, endorsing the 24 months Roadmap for the peaceful and democratic end of the transition period. The consensus by the parties on the equitable allocation of positions in the management of 17 national commissions and the passing of the Constitution Making Process Bill 2022 are also commendable. We call on the South Sudan parties and government to commit the necessary political capital and resources to expedite implementation of all pending tasks within the agreed timelines. We urge that the implementation process must continue to be fully representational of the spectrum of all South Sudanese populations, including all regions of the country, political affiliations, as well as women, the youth, and civil society.

 

The A3 welcomes the decisions of the 48th Ordinary Session of the IGAD Council of Ministers, held in Khartoum on 30th November, to undertake a joint Ministerial visit to South Sudan, and hold a bi-annual extraordinary IGAD Ministerial meeting to review the progress of implementation of the Revitalized Peace Agreement. This high-level political engagement by the region is timely and critical in supporting and shepherding the parties to fulfill their own commitments. The A3 reiterates the call on friends of South Sudan and international partners to provide financial assistance for the two IGAD-supported peace monitoring mechanisms – RJMEC and CTSAMVM, to enable them to sustain their essential oversight role of the implementation process. On the transitional security arrangements, the A3 welcomes the graduation of the Necessary Unified Forces in various parts of the country, thus fulfilling one of the key provisions of the Revitalized Peace Agreement. As we look forward to the deployment of the Forces, we emphasize that the graduation should not be an end by itself. It should mark the commencement of the envisaged comprehensive security sector reforms in the country. In this regard, we welcome the enactment by Parliament of the National Wildlife Service Act 2022 and the South Sudan National Police Service Act 2022. We hope the ongoing review of pending security sector legislation would be finalized expeditiously.

 

Madam President,
The continuous training and equipping of the South Sudan security forces will enable the government to effectively address the worrying trend and recurring localized conflicts in parts of the country, including Upper Nile, Jonglei, Warrap, and Unity State. However, the arms embargo imposed on South Sudan, especially in relation to training assistance and capacity-building programmes, as well as non-lethal items and equipment is a significant impediment. We reiterate the call on the Security Council to lift these unnecessary and unhelpful sanctions.
The criminal justice system is a useful tool for addressing the localized intercommunal violence, cattle raids, and boundary clashes, but it cannot be a sufficient measure. Of importance, at the local level, responsive peacebuilding activities as well as inter-communal peace dialogue and reconciliation, to address existing grievances. We, therefore, urge the Parties to expedite the implementation of the national reconciliation and healing activities as outlined in the Revitalized Peace Agreement. I now turn to the humanitarian and economic situation, which remains deeply concerning. We welcome the signing of the 2023-2025 United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework which aims to support the Government of South Sudan’s vision on transitioning from humanitarian to sustainable economic development. Whereas the A3 appreciates the continued international humanitarian assistance provided to South Sudan, the time has come to also pay greater attention to supporting development interventions to address the root causes of conflicts and insecurity.

 

The A3 urges the Government of South Sudan to urgently implement the economic and financial management reforms provided for in Chapter 4 of the Revitalized Peace Agreement. The A3 deplores and, indeed, condemns all acts of violence directed at humanitarian workers and installations. We urge the South Sudan government to take the required measures to protect humanitarian workers and facilitate unhindered humanitarian access to all parts of the country. On the fourth and last point, the A3 commends UNMISS and the TPCCs for their continued commitment to the cause of peace in South Sudan across the four currently mandated tasks. The responsibility lies with this Council, to ensure that the mission lives up to the expectations of the South Sudan population as a multidimensional peace operation. The A3 believes that UNMISS should play a greater role in facilitating the implementation of Chapter Two of the Revitalized Peace Agreement. We hope this will be achieved during the upcoming renewal of the mandate in March.

In closing, Gabon, Ghana, and Kenya, reaffirm their commitment to continue accompanying the Government and people of South Sudan in their quest for lasting peace, stability, and development.

 

I thank you for your kind attention.