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UN / SOUTH SUDAN
STORY: UN / SOUTH SUDAN
TRT: 03:07
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 24 AUGUST 2017, NEW YORK CITY
FILE - NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, UNHQ exterior
24 AUGUST 2017, NEW YORK CITY
2. Wide shot, Security Council
3. SOUNDBITE (English) El Ghassim Wane, Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, United Nations:
“The conflict in South Sudan is a man-made conflict for which the leaders of South Sudan bear a responsibility, a direct one. The dire economic situation and continued conflict in the country have combined to create a dangerous and precarious situation for its citizens. But the same leaders can also bring the country back from the impending abyss. All that is needed is genuine political will to halt military operations, peacefully negotiate and make the compromises necessary to achieve sustainable peace in the country.”
4. Med shot, South Sudanese ambassador
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Nicholas Haysom, Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Sudan and South Sudan, United Nations:
“We have underlined to the IGAD Secretariat the importance of distinguishing the particular goals of each initiative and to focus to the greater good. The Revitalization Forum, the National Dialogue or the other initiatives should neither adopt the agenda of the other nor overload the agenda of competing initiatives with their own.”
6. Wide shot, Security Council
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Festus Mogae, Chairperson, Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC):
“Two years on since the signing of the Peace Agreement, there has been little meaningful progress in its implementation. Since July 2016, we, as JMEC, haver remained profoundly shocked by the rampant hostilities across the country and the rapid deterioration of the political, security, humanitarian, and economic situation in South Sudan.”
8. Med shot, delegates
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Festus Mogae, Chairperson, Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC):
“For the revitalization process to succeed, there is need for demonstrable political will by the parties and estranged groups to be inclusive and to accommodate one another politically, rather than defeat each other militarily. We must speak with one voice to the leaders of South Sudan and align our actions. There should be clear consequences for intransigent groups, spoilers, and violators.”
10. Med shot, delegates
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Akuei Bona Malwal, Permanent Representative of South Sudan to the United Nations:
“The upcoming revitalization process, according to our understanding, that is being led by IGAD, is merely to maintain the focus and momentum of the parties rather than renegotiate the Agreement, just as the National Dialogue, and SPLM reunification process that is being shepherd by his excellency President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni of Uganda are complementary initiatives to consolidate and cement the success of the Peace Agreement.”
12. Wide shot, Security Council
A top United Nations peacekeeping official said the conflict in South Sudan is a “man-made” conflict for which the country’s leaders bear a “direct” responsibility adding that those same leaders could bring the country back from the “impending abyss” through genuine political will.
El Ghassim Wane, Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations said while the National Dialogue could improve the political environment through open discussion of critical national issues, however, it cannot be a substitute for a negotiated peace agreement which could end the conflict. Wane added that it is crucial that the leaders of South Sudan hear the international community’s unified demand of what is expected of them.
UN Special Envoy for Sudan and South Sudan Nicholas Haysom said battlefield fortunes continue to inform the calculus of both the South Sudanese Government and its opponents. He said the Government is creating an appearance of reconciliation efforts linked to the National Dialogue initiative to lay the ground for elections in 2018. He stressed that the prevailing insecurity, displacement, and the lack of a reasonably level political playing field militate against organizing credible elections within a year and could contribute to deepening and extending the conflict.
Haysom said the National Dialogue, the SPLM reunification process, and IGAD's Peace Agreement Revitalization forum, would at first instance appear to undermine each other, however they have the potential to be complementarity. For this to happen, he said these initiatives “should neither adopt the agenda of the other nor overload the agenda of competing initiatives with their own.”
Festus Mogae, Chairperson Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC), said two years after the signing of the Peace Agreement, “there has been little meaningful progress in its implementation.” Mogae expressed his support for the IGAD revitalization process adding that for it to succeed, “there is need for demonstrable political will by the parties and estranged groups to be inclusive and to accommodate one another politically, rather than defeat each other militarily.” Mogue stressed that there should be clear “consequences for intransigent groups, spoilers, and violators.”
South Sudanese ambassador Akuei Bona Malwal said his Government’s understand is that the upcoming revitalization process is “merely to maintain the focus and momentum of the parties rather than renegotiate the Agreement.” Malwal addressed the recent violence in Maiwut State by saying that when the President declared a unilateral ceasefire in the country, it was not a blank check for the rebels to continue their attacks on the local population. He said provocations and hit and run attacks by the opposition led to the South Sudanese army capturing the Pagak rebel headquarters. He stressed that the situation there is calmer than before and life was returning to normalcy.
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