Just a week ago, the leaders of South Sudan came together in a public display of unity to sign a fresh commitment to peace in the hope of ending the five-year civil war.
Despite an agreement for their armed forces to disengage within 72 hours, there have been fresh clashes in the southern central Equatorian region, as well as the shooting and wounding of a Nepalese peacekeeper on a convoy in the town of Yei.
Speaking at a press conference in the capital Juba, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan said all parties must adhere to the agreement and commit to full implementation.
“The important point is that, with the agreement being signed last Wednesday, and the disengagement of those forces, it means that they should pull back so they are not in a position where they need to, or might be prone to going into conflict with each other, and that is what we are wanting to see so that we have peace in that area,” said David Shearer.
The SRSG said a key ingredient currently missing between the parties is trust. However, he welcomed news that President Salva Kiir had been in contact with his opposition counterpart in-exile, Riek Machar, to discuss the implementation of the agreement.
Speaking after a Council of Ministers meeting yesterday, the Government’s Information Minister, Michael Makuei, said that the President’s phone call with Riek Machar marked the beginning of confidence-building between the parties.
“It is worth mentioning that his Excellency the President, during his talk to Dr. Riek Machar, invited him and his other colleagues, as a matter of trust and confidence-building, to come and spend 2-3 days here in Juba under his protection so that they can see for themselves after which they will go back. However, this is under consideration,” he said.
The Head of UNMISS will share his views on the implementation of the revitalized peace agreement when he participates in the upcoming UN General Assembly. He expects to find a receptive audience among the international community, but one that also wants to see tangible evidence of the parties’ commitment to peace.
“I think that most people have said, and pretty much overwhelmingly, that they are positive about the peace agreement going forward. It’s the only peace agreement that’s on the table at the moment. So, in a way, we don’t have a Plan B, this is it, that’s certainly our position,” said David Shearer. “People are positive about it but cautious too because they’ve been through this before. So, people would like to see real action on the ground.”