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Scoop
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
UN Security Council Extends South Sudan Mission Amid Rising Instability
The Security Council has extended the mandate of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) for another year, as the worlds youngest nation teeters on the brink of renewed conflict. 8 May 2025 Introduced by the United States and supported by 11 other Council members, the resolution extended the mandate of UNMISS until 30 April next year. This action follows a short nine-day 'technical rollover' approved by the Council on 30 April to allow more time for negotiations. Through the text – adopted on Thursday – the Security Council authorized the peacekeeping mission to 'use all necessary means' to implement its mandate – including the protection of civilians, assisting aid delivery, supporting implementation of the 2018 peace agreement, and investigating violations of international law. Three nations – China, Pakistan, and Russia – abstained. Volatile situation on the ground The renewal comes amid an increasingly volatile political and security situation in South Sudan. Head of UNMISS Nicholas Haysom warned ambassadors in April that the fragile 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement – signed by historic rivals President Salva Kiir and former First Vice President Riek Machar – is unravelling. The political standoff, including the arrest of Mr. Machar, has reportedly escalated into open military confrontation, while misinformation and hate speech are fuelling ethnic divisions and instability. 'This situation is darkly reminiscent of the conflicts of 2013 and 2016, which cost over 400,000 lives,' Mr. Haysom said. UNMISS mandate The resolution maintains the mission's overall force ceilings at 17,000 troops and 2,101 police, including 88 justice and corrections advisors. The Council also expressed its readiness to consider adjusting force levels and capacity-building based on future conditions. The resolution expressed 'deep concern' over delays in implementing the 2018 agreement, urging South Sudan's leaders to urgently show political will and build mutual trust. It urged the parties to engage in open and constructive dialogue. It also stressed that the 'organization and funding of free and fair elections is the responsibility of the South Sudanese authorities ', calling on the transitional government to adopt an appropriate legislative framework to fund national elections. The resolution also condemned the use of sexual violence, recruitment of child soldiers and interference in any humanitarian operations. UNMISS was initially established by the Security Council in 2011, following South Sudan's independence from Sudan, to help maintain peace and stability at the time when the young nation faced significant internal conflicts and humanitarian challenges. Ditch 'ideological goals': US Speaking before the adoption, US Acting Representative Dorothy Shea called on the international community to bring South Sudan 'back from the brink.' She cited deteriorating conditions on the ground, including recent attacks against civilians and infrastructure. She also noted ongoing challenges facing UNMISS – including being asked to vacate its Tomping base – which undermine the mission's ability to carry out its mandate. 'In short, as I hope we can all agree, the goal of UNMISS should be to render itself unnecessary by ushering in a lasting peace. The day that a peacekeeping operation is no longer required in South Sudan will be a bright one,' Ambassador Shea said. She added that UN peacekeeping mandates, including UNMISS, 'should not pursue ideological goals that are difficult to define and even more challenging to implement on the ground, but rather focus on core Chapter VII functions,' referring to the Chapter of the UN Charter stressing action to further international peace and security. Unnecessarily politicised: Pakistan Pakistan, which abstained from the resolution alongside China and Russia, explained its position. Deputy Permanent Representative Muhammad Usman Iqbal Jadoon said UN Peacekeeping Missons should enjoy 'complete and unified support' of the Security Council. 'However, this task is complicated when mandate resolutions are unnecessarily politicised,' he said, stating that mission mandates 'must be tailored to the needs on the ground, not the political priorities of Council members.' The resolution contained issues 'which have no direct link' with UNMISS, preventing consensus among the 15 Council member States, he added. That said, Mr. Jadoon reiterated his country's full support for UNMISS and its leadership. 'UNMISS remains a force of stability in South Sudan. We greatly appreciate the dedication of its personnel and peacekeepers, who are performing their duties under difficult conditions.'
Scoop
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
UN Security Council Extends South Sudan Mission Amid Rising Instability
8 May 2025 Introduced by the United States and supported by 11 other Council members, the resolution extended the mandate of UNMISS until 30 April next year. This action follows a short nine-day 'technical rollover' approved by the Council on 30 April to allow more time for negotiations. Through the text – adopted on Thursday – the Security Council authorized the peacekeeping mission to 'use all necessary means' to implement its mandate – including the protection of civilians, assisting aid delivery, supporting implementation of the 2018 peace agreement, and investigating violations of international law. Three nations – China, Pakistan, and Russia – abstained. Volatile situation on the ground The renewal comes amid an increasingly volatile political and security situation in South Sudan. Head of UNMISS Nicholas Haysom warned ambassadors in April that the fragile 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement – signed by historic rivals President Salva Kiir and former First Vice President Riek Machar – is unravelling. The political standoff, including the arrest of Mr. Machar, has reportedly escalated into open military confrontation, while misinformation and hate speech are fuelling ethnic divisions and instability. 'This situation is darkly reminiscent of the conflicts of 2013 and 2016, which cost over 400,000 lives,' Mr. Haysom said. UNMISS mandate The resolution maintains the mission's overall force ceilings at 17,000 troops and 2,101 police, including 88 justice and corrections advisors. The Council also expressed its readiness to consider adjusting force levels and capacity-building based on future conditions. The resolution expressed 'deep concern' over delays in implementing the 2018 agreement, urging South Sudan's leaders to urgently show political will and build mutual trust. It urged the parties to engage in open and constructive dialogue. It also stressed that the 'organization and funding of free and fair elections is the responsibility of the South Sudanese authorities ', calling on the transitional government to adopt an appropriate legislative framework to fund national elections. The resolution also condemned the use of sexual violence, recruitment of child soldiers and interference in any humanitarian operations. UNMISS was initially established by the Security Council in 2011, following South Sudan's independence from Sudan, to help maintain peace and stability at the time when the young nation faced significant internal conflicts and humanitarian challenges. Ditch 'ideological goals': US Speaking before the adoption, US Acting Representative Dorothy Shea called on the international community to bring South Sudan 'back from the brink.' She cited deteriorating conditions on the ground, including recent attacks against civilians and infrastructure. She also noted ongoing challenges facing UNMISS – including being asked to vacate its Tomping base – which undermine the mission's ability to carry out its mandate. 'In short, as I hope we can all agree, the goal of UNMISS should be to render itself unnecessary by ushering in a lasting peace. The day that a peacekeeping operation is no longer required in South Sudan will be a bright one,' Ambassador Shea said. She added that UN peacekeeping mandates, including UNMISS, 'should not pursue ideological goals that are difficult to define and even more challenging to implement on the ground, but rather focus on core Chapter VII functions,' referring to the Chapter of the UN Charter stressing action to further international peace and security. Unnecessarily politicised: Pakistan Pakistan, which abstained from the resolution alongside China and Russia, explained its position. Deputy Permanent Representative Muhammad Usman Iqbal Jadoon said UN Peacekeeping Missons should enjoy 'complete and unified support' of the Security Council. 'However, this task is complicated when mandate resolutions are unnecessarily politicised,' he said, stating that mission mandates 'must be tailored to the needs on the ground, not the political priorities of Council members.' The resolution contained issues 'which have no direct link' with UNMISS, preventing consensus among the 15 Council member States, he added. That said, Mr. Jadoon reiterated his country's full support for UNMISS and its leadership. 'UNMISS remains a force of stability in South Sudan. We greatly appreciate the dedication of its personnel and peacekeepers, who are performing their duties under difficult conditions.'
Arab Times
17-04-2025
- Politics
- Arab Times
UN envoy urges Security Council to try to prevent renewed civil war in South Sudan
UNITED NATIONS, April 17, (AP): The top United Nations official in South Sudan urged the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday to use its clout to prevent the world's newest nation from again plunging into civil war. Nicholas Haysom warned that the escalating rivalry between South Sudan President Salva Kiir and one of the country's vice presidents has degenerated into direct military confrontation between their parties. Recent fighting in the country's north, the arrest of First Vice President Riek Machar and a campaign of misinformation, disinformation and hate speech are "fueling political and ethnic tensions - particularly on social media,' he said. Haysom, the UN special envoy and head of the almost 20,000-strong U.N. peacekeeping mission in the country, warned that "these conditions are darkly reminiscent of the 2013 and 2016 conflicts, which took over 400,000 lives.' There were high hopes for peace and stability after oil-rich South Sudan gained independence from Sudan in 2011. But the country slid into civil war in December 2013 when forces loyal to Kiir, who is from the largest ethnic group in the country, called the Dinka, started battling those loyal to Machar, who is from the second-largest ethnic group, called the Nuer. A 2018 peace deal has been fragile, and implementation has been slow. A presidential election has been postponed until 2026. Haysom said, however, that the 2018 agreement "remains the only viable framework to break this cycle of violence in South Sudan.' "The overriding imperative now is to urgently avert a relapse into full-scale conflict, refocus efforts on accelerating the implementation of the agreement, and advance the transition towards South Sudan's first democratic elections,' he said. "Another war is a risk South Sudan simply cannot afford, nor can the wider region.' Haysom said the peacekeeping force is engaged in intensive diplomatic efforts with the African Union, the regional group Intergovernmental Authority on Development, or IGAD, the Vatican and U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to broker a peaceful solution. He called on the Security Council, the UN's most powerful body, to urge the rival parties to adhere to the ceasefire, exercise restraint and address differences through public dialogue.
Zawya
27-03-2025
- Politics
- Zawya
United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) calls for immediate recommitment to peace at pivotal moment for South Sudan
Following reports tonight of the detention of First Vice President, Dr. Riek Machar, the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, calls on all Parties to exercise restraint and uphold the Revitalized Peace Agreement. 'Tonight, the country's leaders stand on the brink of relapsing into widespread conflict or taking the country forward towards peace, recovery and democracy in the spirit of the consensus that was reached in 2018 when they signed and committed to implementing a Revitalized Peace Agreement,' said the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of UNMISS, Nicholas Haysom. 'Unilateral amendments by Parties to that agreement that jeopardize the hard-won gains of the past seven years risk returning the country back into a state of war. This will not only devastate South Sudan but also affect the entire region.' UNMISS again urges the Parties to immediately cease hostilities and engage in constructive dialogue that puts the best interests of their people at the forefront of this pivotal moment for the world's newest nation. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
Zawya
18-03-2025
- Politics
- Zawya
Peace partners sound alarm on situation in South Sudan and urge leaders to work together to prevent relapse into war
Regional and international peace partners are calling on South Sudan's leaders to take urgent, collective action to de-escalate tensions and prevent a relapse into civil war, which would cause unprecedented suffering and impact the whole region. The partners spoke at a virtual meeting of the African Union Peace and Security Council on the situation in South Sudan. 'As we gather today, South Sudan is on the cusp of a full-scale conflict,' said the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Special Envoy for South Sudan, Ambassador Ismail Wais. 'The peace that has been kept and sustained for the past seven years is now in grave and imminent danger of collapse. Immediate concerted diplomatic intervention is imperative to avert a full-scale war that will otherwise engulf the whole region and beyond.' He highlighted a series of factors that had contributed to the deteriorating situation, including clashes between the South Sudan People's Defence Forces (SSPDF) and White Army in Nasir, airstrikes in the same location, rising tensions related to the deployment of Ugandan troops in South Sudan, and a public spat between the parties. 'If a conflict breaks out in South Sudan now, it will be like no other. The destruction and suffering will be unprecedented. Now is the right time to act.' The Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, Nicholas Haysom, agreed that immediate, collective intervention was needed to ensure that war is averted. 'As partners in peace, we are concerned that South Sudan is poised on the brink of relapse into civil war, which threatens to erase the hard-won peace gains since the signing of the Revitalized Agreement in 2018,' he said. 'The peace process and its mechanisms remain the key to the restoration of peace, and they are on the verge of collapse. While we commend President Kiir for reassuring citizens that there will be no return to war, to actualize this commitment, the Parties must take necessary steps and remain steadfast in implementing the Revitalized Agreement—both in letter and spirit.' Speaking on behalf of the Government of South Sudan, Acting Ambassador Boutrus Thok Deng, said the incident in Nasir was triggered by a misunderstanding that occurred during a routine military redeployment. He assured the AUPSC that the Government is taking all necessary measures to restore peace and order, pointing to a recent address to the nation by President Salva Kiir, committing not to return to war. 'The Government is firmly committed to the implementation of the peace agreement in order for our people to continue living in peace and harmony,' he said. The Head of UNMISS sought the support of the Council to urge the parties to recommit to the cessation of hostilities and the peace agreement, encourage the principals to meet, address their differences constructively, and speak to the nation together in a show of unity, call for the release of detained military and civilian officials or their treatment in accordance with legal process, and immediately address the Nasir tensions through dialogue rather than further military confrontation. 'We need to look no further than across the northern border to Sudan for a stark reminder of how quickly countries can descend into catastrophic war,' said Mr. Haysom. 'There is only one path out of this cycle of conflict and that is through the Revitalized Agreement. The overriding imperative now is to direct all our efforts to prevent a relapse into war, support the full implementation of the agreement, and progress the transition towards the country's first democratic elections,' he said. 'This region cannot afford another conflict.' Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
