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SOUTH SUDAN /JONGLEI PEACE CONFERENCE
STORY: SOUTH SUDAN /JONGLEI PEACE CONFERENCE
TRT: 4:20
SOURCE: UNMISS
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH /NATS
DATELINE: 9 SEPTEMBER 2020, JUBA, SOUTH SUDAN
1. Pan right, UN officials and Jonglei officials at consultative forum
2. Various shots, delegates from Jonglei in hall
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Alain Noudehou, Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for South Sudan:
“We have what we call a quadruple threat that we are facing - in the name of conflict, hunger, flooding and to which we can also add now COVID. How are we able to work in an environment like that where the quadruple threat is increasing the level of vulnerability, making people so much poorer, and almost impossible for them to have the chance to get out of poverty and move towards a life where they can actually enjoy the fruits of the peace that is happening in the country? That is not possible if we don’t deal with the underlying factors that we are facing.”
4.Various shots, delegates in hall
5. Wide shot, Shearer at the podium
6. SOUNDBITE (English) David Shearer, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for South Sudan:
“Every single community is right whether it be Dinka, Nuer, Murle - all of you are right. All of you have been attacked. All of you have been aggrieved. All of you have had people taken. Everybody has had their cattle stolen and people killed. All three communities. But that means that all three communities are also in some ways guilty of doing that to the others as well. As I say, it is a race to the bottom, and we don’t want to see the people of Jonglei getting poorer and poorer and needing more and more outside humanitarian help.”
7. Various shots, delegates in room
8. Wide shot, Jonglei State Governor, Denay Chagor at the podium
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Denay Chagor Jonglei State Governor:
“We feel that if we get the logistical support, the financial support, political support, if we get all this support, we should be able to solve this problem. But if we don’t, the catastrophe of it will be so great that it would mean that the entire country of South Sudan would go back into a war. We don’t want that to happen.”
10. Wide shot, delegates in room
11. SOUNDBITE (English) David Shearer, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for South Sudan:
“It’s important that these people come together and have this agreement because we know that, in the fighting over the past few months, it wasn’t just happening on the ground in isolation to what was happening here. There were others who were supplying weapons and things that were fueling the conflict so we need now to have an agreement here and that agreement can be taken out around Jonglei and we can talk about peace and how we move forward.”
12. More of delegates
13. SOUNDBITE (English) Denay Chagor Jonglei State Governor:
“From what I’m seeing here - so far so good. People have learned a lot. People have seen a lot. People have suffered a lot. So, I’m seeing something happening. I’m seeing enthusiasm from so many people who want to come here and change something. So, we are very happy about that. We cannot anticipate what tomorrow will bring. But we can put in an effort to what we can do tomorrow.”
14. Med shot, more delegates
Thousands of families have been devastated by the vicious cycle of fighting that has plagued the Jonglei region of South Sudan for the past six months.
More than 600 people have been killed during the violence between Dinka, Nuer and Murle groups. Women and children have been abducted, villages and homes torched, and thousands of cattle stolen. At least 160,000 people are estimated to be displaced because of a combination of conflict and flooding.
SOUNDBITE (English) Alain Noudehou, Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for South Sudan:
“We have what we call a quadruple threat that we are facing - in the name of conflict, hunger, flooding and to which we can also add now COVID. How are we able to work in an environment like that where the quadruple threat is increasing the level of vulnerability, making people so much poorer, and almost impossible for them to have the chance to get out of poverty and move towards a life where they can actually enjoy the fruits of the peace that is happening in the country? That is not possible if we don’t deal with the underlying factors that we are facing.”
In an effort to end the conflict, the United Nations Mission in South Sudan brought together national and state level political leaders as well as community elders, civil society and other key stakeholders for peace talks at a special forum in Juba.
SOUNDBITE (English) David Shearer, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for South Sudan:
“Every single community is right whether it be Dinka, Nuer, Murle - all of you are right. All of you have been attacked. All of you have been aggrieved. All of you have had people taken. Everybody has had their cattle stolen and people killed. All three communities. But that means that all three communities are also in some ways guilty of doing that to the others as well. As I say, it is a race to the bottom, and we don’t want to see the people of Jonglei getting poorer and poorer and needing more and more outside humanitarian help.”
The Jonglei Governor says the peace process can only succeed with the support of donors, humanitarians, and the United Nations.
SOUNDBITE (English) Denay Chagor Jonglei State Governor:
“We feel that if we get the logistical support, the financial support, political support, if we get all this support, we should be able to solve this problem. But if we don’t, the catastrophe of it will be so great that it would mean that the entire country of South Sudan would go back into a war. We don’t want that to happen.”
UNMISS is committed to supporting the mediation effort through political and logistical assistance for peace talks, providing peacekeepers to monitor buffer zones between the groups, increasing the capacity of local police and developing infrastructure, such as roads, schools, and water points. But there must first be a willingness among all parties to stop the fighting.
SOUNDBITE (English) David Shearer, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for South Sudan:
“It’s important that these people come together and have this agreement because we know that, in the fighting over the past few months, it wasn’t just happening on the ground in isolation to what was happening here. There were others who were supplying weapons and things that were fueling the conflict so we need now to have an agreement here and that agreement can be taken out around Jonglei and we can talk about peace and how we move forward.”
Those leading the mediation process say the forum is an important first step on the path towards peace
SOUNDBITE (English) Denay Chagor Jonglei State Governor:
“From what I’m seeing here - so far so good. People have learned a lot. People have seen a lot. People have suffered a lot. So, I’m seeing something happening. I’m seeing enthusiasm from so many people who want to come here and change something. So, we are very happy about that. We cannot anticipate what tomorrow will bring. But we can put in an effort to what we can do tomorrow.”
The participants hope to develop an action plan at the conclusion of the conference that will ultimately ensure the people of Jonglei are protected and given the chance to recover and build a more peaceful and prosperous future.
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