[NEAR VERBATIM]
Thank you for joining me and welcome to everyone listening on Radio Miraya. It’s a pleasure to speak with you in my new role as Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan.
I would like to begin by paying tribute to my predecessor, the late SRSG Nicholas [we affectionately knew him as ‘Fink’] Haysom and his commitment to securing sustainable peace in South Sudan. We will continue to build on his legacy, a legacy defined by service to peace, justice and humanity.
In the past few weeks, I have engaged intensively with political leaders, civil society, as well as international partners to try to understand, more deeply, the complex issues that are facing South Sudan. While these discussions have primarily focused on political tensions and continued security and humanitarian concerns, they have left me in no doubt that, no matter the interlocutor is, there is a common goal in working towards a peaceful and prosperous future for all South Sudanese.
Our renewed mandate, as a mission, calls for UNMISS to be more responsive and agile in meeting the evolving needs of the people. Considering this, we have recalibrated our operations to be present where the communities we serve need us the most.
This work has already begun. We were scheduled to draw down our base in Akobo last December due to UN-wide cost saving measures. However, given the security situation in Jonglei as well as rising conflict in Akobo itself, we decided to retain our peacekeepers until we were confident that our political engagements had taken hold. This meant that tensions reduced, civilians were no longer at imminent risk of harm, and conditions were in place for humanitarian partners to support affected communities.
Today, as displaced people begin returning to Akobo, our peacekeepers are helping to provide a much-needed protective environment that enables UN Agencies, Funds, and Programmes and NGOs to scale up critical assistance. This is taking place amid significant financial constraints affecting the UN system, yet our guiding principle remains clear: people must come first.
As a Mission, we will continue to rely on the full cooperation of host authorities to ensure that UNMISS and humanitarian partners can move safely and efficiently across the country.
The safety of the South Sudanese people will remain the primary responsibility of the Government.
In this context, a cessation of hostilities and renewed commitment to implementing the Peace Agreement in both letter and spirit are urgently needed to restore public confidence and sustain progress.
The United Nations will continue to support these efforts alongside our partners in the African Union and IGAD. The appointment of High Representative, Jakaya Kikwete, brings renewed momentum. For this progress to be sustained, it must be matched by strong political will from national leaders and reinforced by regional and international support. Above all, these efforts must reflect the best interests of the people of South Sudan.
We are clear: This is a South Sudan-owned peace process, and it must remain so. We are not seeking to impose external milestones on the Parties. The UN – your partner of choice - is here to help create space for leaders to fulfill the promise of peace they made to their citizens.
Ultimately, lasting progress will depend on the willingness of the parties to engage in inclusive dialogue and reach political compromise and their belief in a vision of a peaceful, stable and prosperous South Sudan where no one is left behind.
--
Contact: UNMISS Spokesperson, Priyanka Chowdhury at chowdhury20@un.org or unmiss-spokesperson@un.org