 |
| UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres |
UNITED NATIONS, June 18 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Parties in South Sudan should decide on an electoral timetable and avoid unilateral actions that may undermine the environment for elections, the United Nations said.
The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’s recommendations are contained in a new report submitted to the members of the world body’s Security Council.
The report on the situation in South Sudan covers political and security developments, the humanitarian and human rights situation, and progress towards the implementation of the mission’s mandate in the world’s youngest nation.
“Noting the difficult terrain of South Sudan, the dearth of infrastructure, the complexity of electoral activities, the different public positions taken by key leaders on elections, and – most critically – that only eight months remain of the transitional period, I call upon the parties to immediately engage in a broad-based discussion and agree as soon as possible on a clear road map for the end of the transitional period,” partly reads the 18-page document.
The UN chief appealed to the South Sudanese parties to show national leadership by completing the constitution and holding free, fair, credible, and inclusive elections in the little time that is left.
“While the conduct of elections should be led and owned by the South Sudanese people, the United Nations stands ready to provide the necessary support to the process, should the Government request such assistance,” Guterres said.
The top UN official also expressed concerns about “critical” benchmarks of the Revitalized Agreement that are still outstanding with limited time remaining before the end of the transitional period in February 2023.
According to Guterres, in the absence of tangible progress, the peace agreement bears the risk of being afflicted by a cycle of extensions.
“I strongly believe that the only viable course of action is the full implementation of the Revitalized Agreement in letter and spirit,” he noted.
While briefing the Security Council members, the Secretary-General commended the parties for overcoming the impasse on the command structure of the necessary unified forces with the conclusion of the agreement on April 3, 2022.
On April 12 and 13, South Sudan President Salva Kiir issued decrees forming the command structure of the necessary unified forces and appointed 32 military personnel.
He said the timely and full implementation of this agreement, including the graduation of the forces, will provide assurances to the South Sudanese people that their leaders remain committed to the peace process.
“I, therefore, urge the government to prioritize this aspect and provide the necessary funds to the security mechanisms to enable, as soon as possible, the graduation, deployment, and operationalization of the necessary unified forces,” he said.
He requested the international community and regional partners to support the parties to meet the objectives envisioned in the 2018 peace agreement. — NNN-AGENCIES
