[As Delivered]

Mr. President,

Thank you for the opportunity, once again, to brief the Council on developments in South Sudan.

Since my last update, South Sudan’s transitional period was extended until February 2027, pushing back the timetable for elections to December 2026. This was inevitable but a regrettable development given the deep frustration and fatigue felt by the South Sudanese people at the apparent political paralysis and inaction of their leaders to implement the peace agreement and deliver the long-awaited democratic transition.

I have been holding intensive discussions with political leaders, civil society, faith-based representatives, youth leaders, women’s coalitions, and international partners. This has left me in no doubt that, as the Secretary-General has stated, the only way forward is for the South Sudanese leaders to urgently find the compromises, modes of implementation and take the decisive steps required to achieve a critical mass of key benchmarks set out in the Revitalised Peace Agreement.

Since the extension, however, implementation of the Revitalised Agreement and its Roadmap has, yet again, been relegated to the back burner while political interests play out at the national level. And it seems that the Tumaini initiative, aimed at bringing holdout opposition groups into the peace agreement, has largely stalled although, upon the invitation of President Kiir, President Ruto of Kenya visited Juba yesterday. The Presidents apparently decided to reconvene this mediation, resolving outstanding issues within two weeks and to secure, thereafter, a regional endorsement.

UNMISS has been clear. The clock on South Sudan’s fourth extension has started ticking. It doesn’t reset in February next year when the extended transition begins. It begins now. Otherwise, we may find ourselves in the same predicament in December 2026. This cannot be business as usual for the parties to the peace agreement, the political elite, the guarantors of the peace agreement, or the international community. We must collectively take this opportunity to make this extension the last and deliver the peace and democracy that the people of South Sudan deserve.

Compromises are required to make the electoral maths add up. Small actions are not enough. Decisions, actions, realism and benchmarks associated with an implementation plan are needed. Concessions on what is feasible within the timeline are required. Some processes will have to be truncated or altered to make the overall harmonization realistically achievable. To achieve these outcomes, the government should immediately reconvene the Government-led Joint Task force on Constitution-Making and Elections.

UNMISS has identified six achievable benchmarks which the parties can address immediately: First, deploying the Necessary Unified Forces (NUF), starting Phase II of their joint training, and agreeing the middle command structure; Second, making a start on civic education; Third, preparatory work for voter registration; Fourth, amending the National Security Services Bill, so as to expand civic and political space; Fifth, develop a code of conduct between political parties, civil society and the media, and; Sixth, clarifying responsibility-sharing for electoral security.

I met recently with President Kiir to discuss the urgent need for progress, informing him of our productive engagements with other national stakeholders and emphasizing the importance of his continued involvement in this regard.

The international community must also rally around these immediate tasks. We need collective leverage and a unified voice to support a peaceful conclusion to the transitional period. A partnerships approach remains critical. We acknowledge that it is difficult to keep the focus on South Sudan at a time of competing global crises but remain convinced that, neither the country nor the region, is capable of withstanding another relapse into conflict.

Mr. President,

UNMISS is moving ahead with assistance to the National Elections Commission, including through packages of support that combine hardware (bricks and mortar) and software (that is, programmatic activities) to standup the Commission as soon as possible. We have a significant amount of in-house electoral, political and law enforcement expertise to dedicate in this area of our mandate, including as it relates to managing electoral security issues.

We are driving initiatives to enhance the civic and political space where dialogue is taking place between political actors from across the spectrum on what a democratic society means to them, and how they can collectively achieve it. We are also collaborating with some 200 civil society organisations across the country to build monitoring alliances and boost civic education and participation in the important task of electoral observation.

I need to underscore that our efforts and the current momentum is a product of the strong desire of the South Sudanese people to contribute to their own nation-building project. After all, these are not “UN elections” or “foreign elections” – they are South Sudan’s first sovereign, post-independence elections.

An example of how the international community's joint efforts can make an impact is the support provided to the Judicial Reform Committee (JRC), which has recently validated its recommendations for building an independent judiciary in South Sudan, rooted in the principles of separation of powers and the supremacy of the rule of law. It is an important step towards strengthening democratic institutions and establishing a system of checks and balances by the end of the transitional period and, importantly, supplementing our own work to make up the current deficit by delivering justice through mobile courts to rural areas.

Mr. President,

As the rainy season concludes, we are already seeing a spike in subnational violence. The number of civilian casualties during separate incidents in Upper Nile, Central Equatoria, and Warrap states is alarming. UNMISS continues to implement our protection of civilians mandate – but we cannot be everywhere at once, and static physical protection is also not a permanent solution in these circumstances. I call on South Sudan’s leaders to unify and deploy their own forces because this is the only way to sustainably prevent civilian deaths. UNMISS has already provided significant logistical support to the rollout of Phase 1 of the unified force deployment, but there has been no visible movement forward on Phase II.

In furthering our Women, Peace and Security mandate, UNMISS is providing technical and advisory services to the Ministry of Gender, Child and Social Welfare for the Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Prevention and Response Task Force, soon to be launched across the country. We are engaging stakeholders on the intersection of gender, security and climate change, given the disproportionate impact of climate shocks and conflict on women.

Ongoing violence and flooding continue to cause immense harm and disrupt opportunities for recovery and durable solutions in South Sudan. Humanitarian partners have ramped up lifesaving operations, delivering food, water, shelter, protection and medical care to over 3.9 million people this year. Challenges persist in reaching all those in need, including through limited resources with just 57 percent received of the 1.8 billion required for the 2024 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan.

With UNMISS and humanitarian partners support, the government has successfully led the development of a joint plan to prepare and respond to the needs of up to 1.5 million flood-affected people. These efforts included the implementation of flood mitigation projects such as dyke construction and early warning systems. But many communities remain vulnerable due to inadequate infrastructure and resources – so we are certainly not out of the woods, particularly as floodwaters stubbornly persist in many areas even when rains subside and river levels drop.

The conflict in Sudan continues to exacerbate these challenges in South Sudan, with over 830,000 refugees and returnees entering the country since April 2023 - equivalent to over seven per cent of South Sudan’s population. In addition, South Sudan has announced rising hunger and a cholera outbreak that has started at its northern border with new cases arriving from Sudan.

Here, I wish to acknowledge the efforts of many South Sudanese citizens who work at great personal risk and sacrifice to serve their people - whether they are humanitarian workers on the frontline or civil servants delivering every day despite going months without pay.

While we see the government’s various appeals for financial support up front and in advance of steps to implement the agreement, we want to advise that there needs to be demonstrable proof that national financial resources are being prioritized for peace. Meaningful steps could be taken here through the recommendations of the Public Financial Management Oversight Committee so as to ensure the allocation of funding serves to effectively implement the peace agreement and deliver public services.

The international community needs tangible evidence that this country’s leaders and political elite are genuinely committed to a democratic future. As things stand, there is concern about the current political stagnation. Public patience isn’t limitless. So, I call on the parties to use the next four months before the extended period commences to set and achieve realistic targets but, in particular, take the critical political decisions required to move the process forward.

In closing, I want to thank this Council for its consistent support to the people of South Sudan and reiterate the need for a united voice and support to enable a peaceful conclusion to the transitional period.

Thank you.
--
Contact: UNMISS Spokesperson at unmiss-spokesperson@un.org