3 September 2014 - The South Sudanese government is ready to cooperate with the newly arrived top UNMISS official “in all friendliness and in harmony”, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Barnaba Marial Benjamin said in Juba today.

Dr. Benjamin made the remarks following a meeting with the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General (SRSG) Ellen Margrethe Løj, who arrived in the country yesterday.

“We shall fully co-operate with UNMISS under her leadership so that we can strengthen the peace process that is going on and also to ensure stability and development within South Sudan,” said the minster. “We have had a wonderful meeting – a meeting of minds – where we exchanged views on … humanitarian issues, displacement, security and issues to do with the mandate.”

Mr. Benjamin said he believed that a mutual understanding of the mission’s current mandate would “make it easy for us to resolve all the issues.”

Ms. Løj, reiterated the mission’s impartial position and stressed that the role of UNMISS is to support peace.

“The national actors – the government and the opposition – have a major role in keeping peace in South Sudan,” she said. “We are increasing our forces. We will get out there to show the people of South Sudan that we are here, watching what’s going on and trying to protect civilians.”

The SRSG also said she hoped that the negotiations between the South Sudanese government and the opposition in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa would lead to a full implementation of the Cessation of Hostilities agreements.