The Acting U.S. Representative to the United Nations on Monday said that it is deeply disappointing that the Transitional Government of South Sudan has yet to deliver the peace and stability the people deserve.
Ambassador Dorothy Shea who made the remarks at the UN Security Council Briefing on South Sudan stressed that despite significant international efforts to support South Sudan’s post-conflict recovery, stabilization, and reconstruction, South Sudan’s leaders have failed to demonstrate the political will to meet their commitments under that agreement, including those related to integrating the armed forces, using public revenue transparently and appropriately, creating civic space, and renouncing violence as a tool for political competition.
She emphasized that South Sudan’s leaders from all parties share responsibility for these failures.
‘Most recently, the actions of South Sudanese leadership have signaled de facto abandonment of the 2018 peace agreement on which the transitional government is based,” Amb. Shea stated. “We cannot pretend that the agreement is being implemented while First Vice President Machar is under house arrest, others from his party are in detention, and SSPDF military strikes continue against other South Sudanese. Nor should the South Sudanese people be expected to do so.”
“Generations of South Sudanese citizens remain trapped in a cycle of conflict, acute need, and disenfranchisement due to the lack of political will on the part of their leaders to change a system that affords them power,” she added.
According to the envoy, the most recent violence in Upper Nile State, Jonglei State, and other parts of South Sudan highlight the devastating consequences of this failure to break that cycle.
“As the Secretary-General’s August 7 report highlights, aerial bombardments and ground attacks between April 1-July 15 have displaced 300,000 people, while escalating military operations across the country have resulted in hundreds of civilian deaths and destroyed critical infrastructure,” Shea said. “Women and girls endure conflict-related sexual violence, and children are maimed, killed, or forcibly recruited into combat. The escalating crisis has forced over 132,000 South Sudanese to seek refuge in neighboring countries between April 1-July 15, further destabilizing the region and straining host nations.”
She underscored that the conflict is worsening an already dire humanitarian situation and that more than 70 percent of South Sudan’s population now requires humanitarian assistance.
“Yet humanitarian services provided by the international community have been systematically hindered by both the most recent conflict and by decades of violence against humanitarian workers, predation, and corruption,” Shea stated.
The diplomat said these unilateral actions by the transitional government clearly violate the 2018 peace agreement, undermine unity, threaten to return the country to another civil war, deprive South Sudanese people of their homes and livelihoods, and deny the country peace and prosperity.
“We therefore strongly urge all parties to immediately cease hostilities, release all unjustly detained political prisoners, and recommit to the principles of dialogue to prevent further violence,” she said.
Amb. Shea reiterated the United States’ call for the transitional government to engage in good-faith dialogue with UNMISS to ensure the mission can fully implement its mandates without any hindrances or obstructions.
“We thank the men and women serving in UNMISS,” she concluded.