The top United Nations official in South Sudan on Tuesday urged leaders in the east-central African country to accelerate implementation of the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement, including holding elections late next year. Since mid-April 2023, over 117,000 women and children and men have crossed over into South Sudan from Sudan along the border areas. 93 percent of these are South Sudanese returnees.
"Now is not the time to take our eyes off the ball in South Sudan," Nicholas Haysom, head of the UN Mission in South Sudan, told the UN Security Council. "What we can learn from Sudan is how quickly hard-won peace gains can unravel."
This is a critical year for the world's youngest country. A new constitution must be drafted and preparations completed for the first national elections scheduled for December 2024.
"In our estimation, the constitution-making process is 10 months behind schedule, election planning eight months behind, and several aspects of the transitional security arrangements are hanging," Haysom reported.
He said it is possible for South Sudan to close the gap on election preparations. He urged legislators to pass the National Elections Act in parliament and establish the National Elections Commission.
After independence from Sudan in July 2011, South Sudan slid into more than five years of civil war, with forces loyal to President Salva Kiir battling supporters of Vice President Riek Machar.
Thousands died in the war, and more than 2 million fled to neighboring countries, including Sudan. Since mid-April, when a rivalry between two Sudanese generals turned into open conflict, more than 117,000 people have crossed back into South Sudan seeking safety. Haysom told council members that 93 percent them are South Sudanese returning home.
"I want to commend the government of South Sudan for its open border policy to all those who are fleeing the conflict, with or without travel documents," Haysom said. "The absorption capacity of the government and humanitarians, however, is under strain, with limited local resources and bottlenecks of arrivals in South Sudan's border towns, notably in Renk."
While humanitarian workers are adapting their response plans to address the needs of returnees and hosting communities, there is pressing urgency for additional funding and resources to meet the spike in demand.
Haysom noted that the fighting in Sudan is also impacting South Sudan's economy, as many goods imported from its northern neighbor have been disrupted, driving up prices. South Sudan's economy is dependent on its oil exports, which go out via Port Sudan. Their interruption could have devastating effects on the economy.
“The economic impact of the conflict casts a shadow on an already fragile country context. The sudden interruption of imports from Sudan has resulted in essential commodities being ‘out of reach’ for ordinary people in South Sudan. Crude oil exports from South Sudan through Port Sudan are an economic lifeline which if interrupted, as recently threatened, could have devastating effects on the South Sudanese economy," Haysom said.
With 4.5 million people forcibly displaced, South Sudan had the highest proportion - 40 percent - of its population displaced of any country in Africa, before the violence in Sudan started. More than 2.3 million people had fled to neighboring countries. Most of them are still in Uganda, which hosts 1 million South Sudanese refugees. 2.2 million people were internally displaced.
Before the conflict erupted in Sudan, at least 9.4 million people in South Sudan needed humanitarian assistance. Among those in need are 4.7 million children. These numbers are likely to rise with the returnees.
Some information for this report provided by VOA.
Further information
Full text: Statement by Mr. Nicholas Haysom Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General and Head of UNMISS, United Nations Security Council Briefing, UN Mission in South Sudan, June 20, 2023
https://reliefweb.int/report/south-sudan/statement-mr-nicholas-haysom-special-representative-secretary-general-and-head-unmiss-united-nations-security-council-briefing-20-june-2023