STATEMENT BY NICHOLAS HAYSOM, SPECIAL REREPRESENTATIVE OF THE SECRETARY-GENERAL
SECURITY COUNCIL BRIEFING ON UNMISS
New York
06 MARCH 2023
I would like to thank you, Mr. President, for this opportunity to address the Security Council on the situation in South Sudan. Today I want to focus on the priorities for this critical phase of the implementation of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan and to share progress and reflections on the implementation of the mandated objectives of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
In a recent press briefing, the Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity confirmed its commitment to implementing the peace agreement in accordance with the timelines in the agreed road map. In the same briefing, the Government stated clearly that there would be no more extensions of the timelines. UNMISS welcomes that public commitment and acknowledges the limited progress achieved during the reporting period, but we also note the slippage in meeting the timelines set out in the road map. Neither the stakeholders nor the international community are of a mind to contemplate further extensions. Accordingly, we see 2023 as a make-or-break year and as a test for all parties to the Agreement. We believe there are some key hurdles that the parties must clear in order to successfully position South Sudan to complete the final leg of the transitional phase next year.
The first is the drafting of a new constitution, which is a critical opportunity for the South Sudanese to agree on the arrangements by which they can live together harmoniously, avoiding a repeat of the two civil wars that have defined the past decade. It will allow them South to consolidate their identity and establish how they want to be governed. It is intended to be an inclusive process that gives a voice to all South Sudanese, including the holdout groups, but especially internally displaced persons and refugees, women, young people, persons with disabilities and other marginalized communities. We therefore call on the Government to immediately reconstitute and fund the National Constitutional Review Commission and to fast-track the establishment of the Constitution Drafting Committee and for Parliament to end its lengthy recess.
That sets the foundation for the second challenge— the preparations for inclusive and credible elections, which are due to be held next year. I can confirm that the United Nations has received a Government request to assist the South Sudanese-owned and -administered elections. Of particular note is the request to support an enabling environment for elections, working with civil society, political parties and the media. There is a need to fast-track all preparatory work now, including with respect to the immediate constitution and operationalization of the Political Parties Council. Most critically, UNMISS urges the finalization of the legal framework and the reconstitution of the National Elections Commission, which has been a largely defunct body for nearly 10 years, lacking human resources and material infrastructure. Key electoral choices must be determined soon. Those steps cannot be shelved until 2024. Following the recommendations of the United Nations needs-assessment mission in 2021, such United Nations electoral support will first focus on creating the appropriate architecture and environment in which elections can take place. It will only then be able to decide on the modalities for further and concrete electoral assistance in managing the elections process itself.
The third priority is the expansion of civic and political space, which will be a defining legacy of the transitional period as it constitutes the finishing line — the ultimate criteria — by which the credibility of the electoral process will be judged. More important, it will set the foundation for a stable democracy that can avert further conflict. In support of that expansion of civic and political space, UNMISS is engaging non-governmental organizations and political parties to ask the critical questions that must be expected of an appropriate political environment. We have taken note of the sentiments expressed at the recent International Conference on Women’s Transformative Leadership, held in Juba, which insisted on ensuring the space for women and girls to embrace their role as change agents. We believe that the visit of the Ecumenical Pilgrimage for Peace, led by His Holiness the Pope, the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Moderator of the Church of Scotland have served to echo the message of peace, tolerance, reconciliation and civic participation so often called for by the South Sudanese themselves.
The fourth hurdle is the consolidation, strengthening and deployment of the necessary unified forces. I welcome the completion of the first phase of the graduations and encourage the parties to finalize a formula for rank structures and harmonization, proper equipment, welfare and the deployment of the graduated troops. That will enable those forces to meet their responsibility to protect civilians, humanitarian personnel and their assets. The necessary unified forces can be either an asset or a liability during the transition. We appeal for the urgent commencement of the second phase of that process.
The fifth challenge is to tackle the subnational violence that manifests itself in hotspots across the country, such as the Upper Nile, Jonglei and the Greater Pibor Administrative Area, and the areas adjacent to Abyei, as well as through the legacy of the conflict in Tambura and the cattle-related violence in the Equatorias. All those conflicts increasingly present an ethnic or tribal dimension, and as President Kiir Mayardit noted in his New Year’s address, they threaten to unravel the hard-won peace gains achieved to date. We have been shocked at the recent cycle of revenge killings in Kajo Keij and elsewhere, the unacceptable practice of the abduction of women and children, and the use of gender-based violence as a weapon of war.
The sixth challenge that South Sudan must face down is the economic and humanitarian situation in South Sudan caused primarily by climate shocks and conflict. This year, it is estimated that more than two thirds of the population, including refugees, will need humanitarian and protection assistance — an increase of half a million people compared to last year. In December 2022, the humanitarian community in South Sudan released the humanitarian response plan for 2023, which requires funding in the amount of $1.7 billion dollars in order to reach 6.8 million of the most vulnerable people with urgent, vital support. Sadly, the plan is only 3 per cent supported, as our colleagues in the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs will confirm in their briefing. The efforts of humanitarians to reach affected people with life-saving support are continuously hampered by insecurity, criminality, operational interference and attacks against humanitarian personnel and assets. From our vantage point, all those priorities are mutually reinforcing. Undoubtedly, South Sudan is challenged by the need to secure the necessary financing for implementing the peace agreement. I have conveyed to senior Government officials that the international community would likely be more forthcoming in assisting South Sudan were it to demonstrate political will, demonstrable progress in the implementation of the Agreement and a visible contribution of its own resources to that task. Against that backdrop, UNMISS is following the recent developments relating to the removal of the Minister of Defence and Veterans’ Affairs. We call on the parties to exercise restraint and engage in a collegial spirit in order to resolve such sensitive national issues.
In the most recent mandate cycle, UNMISS released seven public human rights reports, including a special report on Tambura and southern Unity prepared jointly with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. Those reports provide recommendations to the parties, authorities and other stakeholders for improving the overall environment of justice, accountability and reconciliation. In that context, UNMISS is of the view that the four pillars of our mandate remain valid and that the three-year strategic vision has given us a solid foundation to move ahead. I affirm that the protection of civilians is the heartbeat of that Mission, alongside the women and peace and security agenda. Those two priorities constitute the common cross-cutting elements of all our tasks.
We take seriously our responsibility to continuously interrogate whether we are fit for purpose. With the upcoming electoral cycle and the heightened political and security tensions that will accompany it, we are considering whether there is a case for strengthening our uniformed deployment, although it is well within our authorized ceiling. After conducting an internal review, I have now requested Headquarters to carry out a capability study to assess our capacity to adequately protect civilians and support the implementation of the peace agreement. The principle of partnerships underpins our strategic vision to prevent a return to civil war and build durable peace. We value the support and engagement of the troika, the European Union, the African Union and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, as well as the reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission. UNMISS engages continuously with the neighbours of South Sudan, most recently Kenya, with regard to the obligation to support the South Sudanese in their transition. The recent visit of the African Union Peace and Security Council is a demonstration of its consistent effort to deepen the continent’s capacity to leverage helpful outcomes in South Sudan.
The leaders of South Sudan now face a stark choice: they can embark upon a road of mutual cooperation and reconciliation in the urgent implementation of their peace agreement, or they can take a low road that privileges self-interest and conflict over nation-building. There is still sufficient time to achieve the ideals, goals and timelines as set out in the peace agreement. We would want to believe that the South Sudanese would make the most of this fast-closing opportunity.