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STORY: UNMISS / HAYSOM MEMORIAL
TRT: 05:07
SOURCE: UNMISS
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 27 MARCH 2026, JUBA, SOUTH SUDAN / FILE
1. Med shot, condolence table with SRSG picture
2. Close up, condolence book
3. Various shots, diplomatic community signing the condolence book
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations:
“Fink embodied the very best of the United Nations: integrity, courage, humility and deep dedication to the pursuit of peace in even the most challenging conditions. For many of us here, beyond his titles and official roles, he was really a model of humility and empathy. He was also a skilful, realistic and clear-eyed negotiator, determined and tough when it was needed in upholding the values and principles of the United Nations.”
FILE - 14 DECEMBER 2022, NEW YORK CITY
5. Various shots, Haysom at Security Council
FILE - 14 JUNE 2023, MALAKAL, UPPER NILE, SOUTH SUDAN
6. Med shot, Haysom in Malakal
7. Med shot, Haysom in Malakal
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Mahlodi Sam Muofhe, Ambassador to South Sudan, South Africa:
“Fink was one of the legal minds that drafted our democratic constitution in the Republic of South Africa. Fink’s tenure in the Republic of South Sudan was equally about his quest of wanting to see the Republic of South Sudan achieving its democracy by going to a democratic, national general election.”
9. Various shots, Female South African UNPOL
10. Med shot, USG Lacroix with UNMISS OIC Kiki Gbeho seated
11. Med shot, UN Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa Guang Cong and UNMISS DSRSG Political seated
12. SOUNDBITE (English) Graham Maitland, Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General to South Sudan:
“You stood for justice when it was difficult. You bought clarity when things were uncertain and you brought humanity – always – into spaces that desperately needed it. Those are your gifts to us. And now, it is on us to carry them forward.”
13. Med shot, UNMISS Force Chief of Staff and UNMISS Police Commissioner seated
14. Various shots, guests seated
15. SOUNDBITE (English) Anita Kiki Gbeho, Officer-in-Charge, United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS):
“A hallmark of Fink’s leadership was the simplicity and clarity with which he approached even the most complex political challenges. He always reminded South Sudan’s leaders that at the heart of peace lies the truth: the ability to live together. He encouraged them consistently to find a way to coexist, to reconcile, and to look beyond personal or political divides.”
16. Various shots, Government of South Sudan Vice President Wani Igga arriving and being greeted by USG Lacroix and signing the condolence book
17. SOUNDBITE (English) Wani Igga, Vice President, South Sudan:
“The late Fink did tremendously help and shape the foundations upon which South Sudan’s search for lasting peace continues to rest. He brought intellectual clarity, pollical acumen and selfless, principled leadership to some of the most complex peace processes of our time and used this expertise in the service of our dear country, South Sudan.”
18. Wide shot, UNMISS Choir singing Lean on Me
19. Various shot, UNMISS OIC laying a wreath, flanked by SRSG staff
As tributes continue to flow in commemoration of the extraordinary life and service of the late Nicholas Haysom, members of the international community, South Sudan Government, United Nations personnel and his family participated in a memorial service in Juba to mourn his loss.
The Special Representative of the Secretary-General, who passed away after almost five years of service leading the United Nations peacekeeping mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) was recognized for his extraordinary contribution to human rights, justice, and the cause of peace globally.
SOUNDBITE (English) Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations:
“Fink embodied the very best of the United Nations: integrity, courage, humility and deep dedication to the pursuit of peace in even the most challenging conditions. For many of us here, beyond his titles and official roles, he was really a model of humility and empathy. He was also a skilful, realistic and clear-eyed negotiator, determined and tough when it was needed in upholding the values and principles of the United Nations.”
Haysom had decades of experience as a seasoned mediator, diplomat, constitutional expert, and peacebuilder in the world’s most complex environments, including Sudan, Somalia, Afghanistan, and Iraq, as well as at Headquarters in New York. His ideals and principles were firmly founded in his early life in South Africa as an anti-apartheid activist and human rights lawyer.
SOUNDBITE (English) Mahlodi Sam Muofhe, Ambassador to South Sudan, South Africa:
“Fink was one of the legal minds that drafted our democratic constitution in the Republic of South Africa. Fink’s tenure in the Republic of South Sudan was equally about his quest of wanting to see the Republic of South Sudan achieving its democracy by going to a democratic, national general election.”
Delivering the eulogy for his colleague and friend, UNMISS Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General-Political, Graham Maitland, recognized Mr. Haysom’s unwavering commitment to justice and human rights as, “not an abstract ideal, but something lived, argued and defended, sometime stubbornly and always courageously.”
SOUNDBITE (English) Graham Maitland, Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General to South Sudan:
“You stood for justice when it was difficult. You bought clarity when things were uncertain and you brought humanity – always – into spaces that desperately needed it. Those are your gifts to us. And now, it is on us to carry them forward.”
Tribute was also paid to Haysom’s razor-sharp intellect, strong and principled leadership, and wisdom in navigating crises. He was remembered for his determination to put people at the centre and conviction that peace should be founded on their welfare and aspirations.
SOUNDBITE (English) Anita Kiki Gbeho, Officer-in-Charge, United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS):
“A hallmark of Fink’s leadership was the simplicity and clarity with which he approached even the most complex political challenges. He always reminded South Sudan’s leaders that at the heart of peace lies the truth: the ability to live together. He encouraged them consistently to find a way to coexist, to reconcile, and to look beyond personal or political divides.”
The Government of South Sudan appreciated his professionalism and partnership approach to navigating the country’s journey from conflict to peace and democracy.
SOUNDBITE (English) Wani Igga, Vice President, South Sudan:
“The late Fink did tremendously help and shape the foundations upon which South Sudan’s search for lasting peace continues to rest. He brought intellectual clarity, pollical acumen and selfless, principled leadership to some of the most complex peace processes of our time and used this expertise in the service of our dear country, South Sudan.”
The enormous loss of Haysom has resonated around the world but is felt most keenly by those closest to him, including his family who joined the memorial service remotely. They described how his absence in their lives is immeasurable, but his continued presence will always inform the way that they move through the world.
