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STORY: UN / SOUTH SUDAN
TRT: 05:15
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH / FRENCH / NATS
DATELINE: 16 APRIL 2025, NEW YORK CITY / FILE
FILE - NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, exterior United Nations Headquarters
16 APRIL 2025, NEW YORK CITY
2. Wide shot, Security Council
3. Wide shot, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for South Sudan Nicholas Haysom addressing Council
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Nicholas Haysom, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for South
Sudan and Head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS):
“There has been a sharp deterioration in the political and security situation, which threatens to unravel the peace gains made in recent years. All our efforts are now focused on preventing a relapse into widespread conflict and refocusing attention on the implementation of the Revitalized Peace Agreement.”
5. Wide shot, Haysom addressing Council
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Nicholas Haysom, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for South
Sudan and Head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan:
“We are receiving reports of further mobilisation, respectively, of the White Army and SSPDF in Upper Nile, allegedly including the forced recruitment of children into the respective ranks of the armed formations. The deployment of Ugandan foreign forces at the request of the South Sudanese government has further stoked public anxiety.”
7. Wide shot, Haysom addressing Council
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Nicholas Haysom, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for South
Sudan and Head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan:
“South Sudan faces one of the worst humanitarian outlooks since independence – driven by escalating subnational violence, the spillover from the Sudan conflict, deepening economic collapse, extreme weather and a sharp decline in international aid. Regional volatility is also feeding instability in South Sudan. Around 9.3 million people – three quarters of the population – need assistance and 7.7 million are suffering acute food insecurity.”
9. Med shot, OCHA’s Director of Operations and Advocacy Edem Wosornu addressing Council
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Edem Wosornu, Director of Operations and Advocacy, Office for the
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA):
“This rising violence and displacement have increased the exposure – of course as always- of women and girls to gender-based violence, including sexual violence, and exploitation.”
11. Med shot, Wosornu addressing Council
12. SOUNDBITE (English) Edem Wosornu, Director of Operations and Advocacy, Office for the
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA):
“Six health facilities have been forced to shut down due to attacks and destruction. Earlier this week, services at Ulang Hospital in Upper Nile – a lifeline for 174,000 people – were suspended following extensive looting. In addition to the civilian casualties, the violence has claimed the lives of four humanitarian workers, bringing the total this year to five. Humanitarian access remains severely restricted to reach those in need, and critical medical supplies are rapidly running out, amid an ongoing cholera outbreak.”
13. Med shot, South Sudan’s Ambassador Cecilia Adeng speaking
14. SOUNDBITE (English) Cecilia A.M. Adeng, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, South Sudan:
“As a sovereign nation striving for peace and stability, we remain committed to transparency, accountability, and cooperation with all stakeholders who support our nation's progress. The government of South Sudan remains steadfast in its commitment to the implementation of the Revitalised Peace Agreement on the resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan. Despite the challenges, we are moving forward, however, we recognise that the current political situation in the country has raised concern among our international partners and regional partners.”
15. Med shot, Adeng speaking
16. SOUNDBITE (English) Cecilia A.M. Adeng, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, South Sudan:
“We are calling for peace from every corner of our nation. We are urging citizens are urging their leaders to uphold and protect the gains made since the signing of the Peace Agreement. The government hears their voices and reaffirms our collective duty to ensure that this peace is not only preserved but also strengthened.”
17. Wide shot, end of meeting
18. Wide shot, ambassadors at the stakeout podium
19. SOUNDBITE (French) Jérôme Bonnafont, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, France:
“We, Denmark, Greece, Guyana, Panama, the Republic of Korea, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, the United Kingdom and my country, France, signatories of the Joint Commitments on Women, Peace and Security. We are committed to improving the situation of women and girls in South Sudan. We are concerned about the escalation of tensions in the country. We urge the Transitional Government to use the recent extension of the transition period to create the conditions for transparent, free and fair elections to develop through an inclusive process, a permanent constitution that reflects the will of the people. And to fully implement the commitments made under the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement.”
20. Wide shot, ambassadors at the stakeout podium
21. SOUNDBITE (English) Jérôme Bonnafont, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, France:
“We must work to ensure the full, equal, meaningful and safe participation and leadership of women at all levels in South Sudan, in the region, including in electoral processes, as voters, candidates or electoral observers. The commitments made by the transitional government in the Peace Agreement for a 35 percent quota for women in institutions must be implemented.”
20.Pan right, ambassadors walk away
The Head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), Nicholas Haysom, today (16 Apr) said, “there has been a sharp deterioration in the political and security situation,” in the country, “which threatens to unravel the peace gains made in recent years.”
Presenting the Report of the Secretary-General on South Sudan to the Security Council, Haysom said, “all our efforts are now focused on preventing a relapse into widespread conflict and refocusing attention on the implementation of the Revitalized Peace Agreement.”
He told the Council that there are reports “of further mobilisation, respectively, of the White Army and SSPDF in Upper Nile, allegedly including the forced recruitment of children into the respective ranks of the armed formations.”
The deployment of Ugandan foreign forces at the request of the South Sudanese government, Haysom pointed out, “has further stoked public anxiety.”
The UNMISS Chief said, “South Sudan faces one of the worst humanitarian outlooks since independence – driven by escalating subnational violence, the spillover from the Sudan conflict, deepening economic collapse, extreme weather and a sharp decline in international aid.”
He said, “round 9.3 million people – three quarters of the population – need assistance and 7.7 million are suffering
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Director of Operations and Advocacy Edem Wosornu told the Council that “rising violence and displacement have increased the exposure – of course as always- of women and girls to gender-based violence, including sexual violence, and exploitation.”
Wosornu said, “six health facilities have been forced to shut down due to attacks and destruction,” while earlier this week, “services at Ulang Hospital in Upper Nile – a lifeline for 174,000 people – were suspended following extensive looting.”
In addition to the civilian casualties, she said, “the violence has claimed the lives of four humanitarian workers, bringing the total this year to five.”
Wosornu said, “humanitarian access remains severely restricted to reach those in need, and critical medical supplies are rapidly running out, amid an ongoing cholera outbreak.”
South Sudan’s Ambassador Cecilia Adeng for her part said, “as a sovereign nation striving for peace and stability, we remain committed to transparency, accountability, and cooperation with all stakeholders who support our nation's progress,” adding that the government of South Sudan “remains steadfast in its commitment to the implementation of the Revitalised Peace Agreement on the resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan.”
Adeng said, “we are urging citizens are urging their leaders to uphold and protect the gains made since the signing of the Peace Agreement. The government hears their voices and reaffirms our collective duty to ensure that this peace is not only preserved but also strengthened.”
Outside the Council, before the meeting, French Ambassador Jérôme Bonnafont, together with representatives from Denmark, Greece, Guyana, Panama, the Republic of Korea, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, and the United Kingdom expressed commitment “to improving the situation of women and girls in South Sudan.”
Bonnafont, said, “we are concerned about the escalation of tensions in the country. We urge the Transitional Government to use the recent extension of the transition period to create the conditions for transparent, free and fair elections to develop through an inclusive process, a permanent constitution that reflects the will of the people. And to fully implement the commitments made under the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement.”
He said, “we must work to ensure the full, equal, meaningful and safe participation and leadership of women at all levels in South Sudan, in the region, including in electoral processes, as voters, candidates or electoral observers. The commitments made by the transitional government in the Peace Agreement for a 35 percent quota for women in institutions must be implemented.”
France, Denmark, Greece, Guyana, Panama, the Republic of Korea, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, and the United Kingdom are signatories of the Shared Commitments on Women, Peace and Security.
