Note: A complete summary of today’s Security Council meeting on South Sudan will be made available after its conclusion.
Briefings
NICHOLAS HAYSOM, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), noted that the crisis in Sudan has had major implications for the implementation of South Sudan’s Revitalized Peace Agreement. Since mid-April, over 117,000 people have crossed over to South Sudan from Sudan. South Sudan’s absorption capacity is under strain, he warned. The economic impact of the conflict in Sudan has cast a shadow on an already fragile situation. Exports of vital commodities and resources have been interrupted. Turning to a move specific issue, he noted that the absence of local agreements governing the movement of cattle has heightened the risk of clashes between northern pastoralists and South Sudanese agrarian communities. Humanitarian workers are also adapting their response plans to meet the needs of the influx of refugees. Moreover, the flare up of tensions in Malakal only adds to the much wider patchwork of the intercommunal and subnational conflicts that the mission is grappling with.
“Our intention is to extend the force’s footprint across the country while still retaining reserves for addressing intercommunal and subnational and pre-electoral contingencies,” he said. Despite geographical constraints, there is still support and trust of the South Sudanese in UNMISS. Attacks on humanitarian actors are unacceptable, he said, stressing that “now is not the time to take our eyes off the ball in South Sudan”. South Sudan is not yet ready to roll out an electoral process, he continued, recognizing a new urgency to deal with these issues. No electoral process can be credible without adequate civic and political space. “The challenges are many, but I am hopeful that with cooperation, partnership and sustained leadership a positive change in the lives of the South Sudanese can be achieved,” he said.
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