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STORY: UN / SOUTH SUDAN HAYSOM
TRT: 04:13
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 07 NOVEMBER 2024, NEW YORK CITY / FILE
FILE - NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, sculptures outside United Nations Headquarters
07 NOVEMBER 2024, NEW YORK CITY
2. Wide shot, Security Council
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Nicholas Haysom, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head, United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS):
“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.”
4. Med shot, Haysom speaking
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Nicholas Haysom, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head, United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS):
“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 also stalled. Although upon the invitation of President Kiir, President Ruto of Kenya visited Juba, yesterday. The Presidents apparently decided to reconvene this initiative, resolving outstanding issues within two weeks and to secure thereafter a regional endorsement.”
6. Wide shot, Haysom speaking
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Nicholas Haysom, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head, United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS):
“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 can 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.”
8. Various shots, Council
9. Med shot, South Sudan’s Ambassador Cecilia Adout Majok Adeng speaking
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Cecilia Adout Majok Adeng, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, South Sudan:
“The decision to extend the transition period was a tough decision made in the interests of maintaining peace that would ensure a stable foundation for free, fair, credible elections. The delay was necessary due to financial constraints and logistical challenges. With these setbacks, we are still committed to using this extended period to address these challenges. We welcome the call of the African Union, IGAD, UNMISS, and members of the Security Council to redouble our efforts and are actively engaging with electoral and security institutions to establish a realistic election time frame and ensure a proper preparation. We also want to assure our international partners that we are focused on securing sufficient funding to implement the Revitalized Agreement.”
11. Wide shot, Council
12. Wide shot, ambassadors at stakeout podium
13. SOUNDBITE (English) James Kariuki, Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, United Kingdom:
“We note the announcement by the transitional government of South Sudan to extend the government's transitional status by a further two years. South Sudan's leaders should urgently come forward with a credible timetable of election preparations, allocate their resources for electoral institutions, and foster the political and civic space necessary to create the conditions for free and fair, peaceful and inclusive elections in 2026. Women play a key role in promoting peace and stability in South Sudan. It must be given more space to fully, equally, meaningfully and safely participate in politics at all levels across all regions. This includes the full, equal, meaningful and safe participation of women in all elections processes, including as voters, candidates, and electoral observers.”
14. Pan right, ambassadors walk away
The Head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), Nicholas Haysom, today (7 Nov) told the Security Council that South Sudan’s decision to extend the transitional period until February of next year - pushing back the timetable for elections to December 2026 – “was inevitable but a regrettable development.”
Haysom called on the parties to use the next four months to set and achieve realistic targets, “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.”
The Special Representative said, “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 also stalled.”
He noted that upon the invitation of President Salva Kiir, President William Ruto of Kenya visited Juba on Wednesday (6 Nov), and they have decided “to reconvene this initiative, resolving outstanding issues within two weeks and to secure thereafter a regional endorsement.”
Haysom said, “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 can 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.”
South Sudan’s Ambassador Cecilia Adout Majok Adeng for her part said, “the decision to extend the transition period was a tough decision made in the interests of maintaining peace that would ensure a stable foundation for free, fair, credible elections.”
The delay, she said, “was necessary due to financial constraints and logistical challenges.”
Majok Adeng welcome the call of the African Union (AU), the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), UNMISS, and members of the Security Council “to redouble our efforts and are actively engaging with electoral and security institutions to establish a realistic election time frame and ensure a proper preparation.”
Outside the Council, British Ambassador James Kariuki, flanked by ambassadors from Ecuador, France, Guyana, Japan, Malta, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, Switzerland, the Republic of Korea, and the United States, read a joint
statement on behalf of the Security Council signatories of the Shared Commitments on Women, Peace and Security (WPS).
Kariuki said, “we note the announcement by the transitional government of South Sudan to extend the government's transitional status by a further two years. South Sudan's leaders should urgently come forward with a credible timetable of election preparations, allocate their resources for electoral institutions, and foster the political and civic space necessary to create the conditions for free and fair, peaceful and inclusive elections in 2026. Women play a key role in promoting peace and stability in South Sudan. It must be given more space to fully, equally, meaningfully and safely participate in politics at all levels across all regions. This includes the full, equal, meaningful and safe participation of women in all elections processes, including as voters, candidates, and electoral observers.”
On 13 September, the signatories to the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS) announced that South Sudan’s transitional period was extended until February 2027.
