30 June 2014 - No one could have predicted the “horrible” conflict in South Sudan for the last six months, UNMISS Chief Hilde F. Johnson said in New York today.

“Although I knew it would be rocky, difficult and challenging and we would be under significant pressure, I did not expect what happened in the last six months – the speed, the scale and the scope of what has unfolded before our eyes,” said the Special Representative of the Secretary General (SRSG).

“The main lesson learned from the past months probably to me is even though you knew something was going to happen, even though you thought violence could be an outcome, it can be much, much worse than you ever contemplated it could be,” she added.

Ms. Johnson, who will complete her tenure in the country next week, urged parties to the conflict to put the country and its citizens above all else in order to restore peace and stability.

The parties have until 10 August to come to an agreement on an interim transitional government. Before this deadline, it is vital for the parties to abide by the cessation of hostilities agreement.

The SRSG stressed the need for the peace talks to move forward as well as to ensure accountability for the serious crimes that have been committed and foster reconciliation among the communities.

“Time is very short, the window is narrow,” said Ms. Johnson. “Within the next few weeks, what is critical is international pressure for the parties to abide with these two very critical provisions that they have agreed on.”

She added that a genuine reconciliation process was equally vital, noting that “the social fabric of (South Sudanese) society has almost been torn apart”, as the conflict created major rifts.

“From my experience with South Sudan, if there’s one thing that you learn it’s that anything can happen and they have an incredible capability of putting things behind them and reconciling,” said Ms. Johnson. “They have an incredible capability of shaking hands with their former enemies… “

“I think the critical thing is that now the rifts are deeper than they have ever been,” she added. “That means that even if you shake hands at the top, there needs to be a very deep, thorough healing and reconciliation process from the bottom up.”

The SRSG said it was crucial that any for the reconciliation and healing process to ensure accountability and to be comprehensive and use different traditions in South Sudan to bring the communities together.

In an interview with the UN News Centre, Ms. Johnson said the decision to give protection to civilians fleeing for their lives was “the most important achievement” of her three-year tenure as SRSG as it saved theousands of lives.

“There will be incredible challenges going forward with this decision but it was the right one. It remains the right one,” she said.

Ms. Johnson added that after three years of “almost constant crisis management,” it was time “to hand over to somebody else.”