South Sudan peace deal ‘remains fragile’ despite progress – UN envoy

JUBA – South Sudan’s peace process remains fragile despite some progress in the past years, said Nicholas Haysom, newly appointed United Nations envoy for South Sudan.

Speaking to reporters at a press conference on Thursday, Haysom, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General and Head of the UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan warned that the peace process remains extremely fragile.

“While some of the progress has been made, peace remains fragile and there is much to be done in the interest of advancing that peace,” he told reporters at the Thursday press conference in Juba.

The State Parliament is yet to be reconstituted, and there has been minimal progress on constitution-making, transitional justice, and economic reform.

Most significantly, unifying forces are yet to occur despite multiple self-imposed government deadlines. Thousands of troops fester in cantonment sites without adequate shelter, health care, and food, he noted.

The UN Envoy said that “Courageous decisions need to be made including unification security forces”.

“I urge the people and leaders of South Sudan to bring fresh life into the peace and fully implement the agreement including finalizing the constitution and eventually holding elections,” he added.

The UN Diplomat reiterated the UN Mission readiness to support South Sudan achieves durable peace.

“Without peace, meaningful infrastructural development can’t take place, displaced families can’t return home. Without real and lasting peace progress in almost all aspects of South Sudan’s social, economic, and political life is impossible,” he disclosed.

He pledged the mission readiness to continue protecting civilians and aid workers across the country.

“We are rebalancing our military peacekeepers to take a number practice approach to protect civilians. We are deploying troops to conflict hotspots areas and setting up temporary bases and intensifying patrols to deter conflict,” he explained.

“We are doing anything we can to protect humanitarian workers and their supply and to secure access to those services including rebuilding roads,” he added.