Statement by Deputy Permanent Representative Anna Evstigneeva at UNSC briefing on the situation in South Sudan
Mr.President,
We thank SRSG Haysom and Ambassador Michel Xavier Biang, Chair of the 2206 Sanctions Committee on South Sudan, for the briefings. We welcome representatives of South Sudan to this meeting.
We share concerns about the humanitarian situation in South Sudan. The country is experiencing the serious consequences of the conflict in neighboring Sudan, including an influx of hundreds of thousands of refugees and returning South Sudanese. This has significantly exacerbated the already difficult situation in the northern states and has become a serious challenge for the country as a whole. It is clear that South Sudan requires development assistance, which needs, among other things, to revitalize the national economy.
At the same time, the South Sudanese political process is developing steadily. We proceed on the basis of the need for the parties to implement all the provisions of the Revitalized Peace Agreement in a clear and timely manner. We strongly condemn any violations of it, as well as acts of violence against civilians, including humanitarian workers in the Republic of South Sudan. We believe that parties to the conflict made the right thing when they decided to extend the transitional period until February 2025. It is important to adhere to the time frame set out in the road map for the settlement.
We note the efforts of the leadership of South Sudan in the area of state-building, including the establishment of governments of South Sudanese states, the formation of the Transitional Parliament, work on the drafting of a new Constitution and the establishment of the National Human Rights Council. However, these processes need to speed up whenever possible to meet previously agreed schedule. That is first and foremost in the interests of South Sudanese themselves. At the same time, all of this requires increased international support for Juba.
We note the general improvement of the security situation in South Sudan and support international steps that facilitate stabilization. We call on UNMISS to prioritize the main tasks under its mandate. That is, first and foremost, political and security tasks, including the prevention of inter-communal violence. We believe that the Mission needs to be equipped with all the necessary resources to fulfill its mandate.
We pay tribute to the mediation efforts of the African Union and the member states of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), as well as international steps aimed at stabilizing the situation in South Sudan and helping UNMISS to implement specific provisions of the Revitalized Agreement. We look forward to continuing our work through the Community of St. Egidio, which has ensured the return of a number of armed groups to the path of dialogue. We call on all non-signatories of the Agreement to join the peace process.
Mr.President,
We believe that targeted efforts of the South Sudanese authorities with the purpose of establishing a unified armed force to become a guarantor of peaceful advancement of the political process should remain a priority. In that connection, we view positively the deployment on November 15 of this year of a unified force in Upper Nile State. At the same time, we are convinced that the sanctions regime against South Sudan is an obstacle to deploying and strengthening state security structures. We are strongly opposed to the use of Security Council sanctions to exert pressure and interfere in the internal affairs of this country and to supplement them with illegal unilateral restrictive measures.
We realize that the coming year will be a game-changer in many ways for South Sudan, whose leadership has scheduled national elections for December 2024. The task of the international community, first and foremost the UN mechanisms, is to fully support the efforts of the Government of National Unity to hold successful elections. At the same time, we call to make no preconditions to such assistance and not to impose on Juba some alien scenarios that disregard the country’s specifics and the will of its people. This being said, we emphasize that the successful holding of elections, the completion of the transition period and the stabilization of the country are the responsibility of the South Sudanese in the first place. We are confident that they are capable of developing suitable forms of political process and that they can determine the fate of their country in the best way possible.
Thank you.
