Dec 08, 2015 The Head of the U.N. Peacekeeping Operations, Herve Ladsous recently called for greater international support in resolving the South Sudan crisis.
Following the violation of several ceasefire agreements by the warring factions, Herve solicited the deployment of additional 1100 peacekeeping soldiers to the country.
While addressing the UN council, Herve said:
“Our assessment is very clear. The South Sudan peace process is at a critical juncture and now is the time for the Council and international partners of the IGAD (Intergovernmental Authority on Development) to invest politically in supporting the take-off of the transition, or the progress made could be lost,”
The East African Intergovernmental Authority on Development and its partners sponsored a peace agreement, to which President Salva Kiir and his former Vice-President Riek Machar signed in August to end the bloody conflict.
However, to ensure the smooth implementation of the peace agreement, Ladsous said:
“At this point of the peace process, any unilateral political initiative taken by either party is counter-productive. Our messaging to both parties should be clear it should be unequivocal: we need the Agreement, the whole Agreement and nothing but the Agreement, and we need it urgently,”
Ladsous also called for a deployment of additional 500 troops and 600 police personnel for the U.N. Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), which already has 12,500 uniformed personnel on ground.
According to him, this will increase the protection of civilians both within and outside the displacement camps.
While addressing the Security Council, the Permanent Representative of the Republic of South Sudan to the U.N., Francis Mading Deng, reiterated his country’s commitment to a peaceful resolution.
“President Salva Kiir in his recent address to the National Legislative Assembly reiterated his commitment to the implementation of the agreement in letter and spirit. He urged members of the Assembly to honour their obligation to the people of South Sudan to join him, to join with him in implementation of the agreement,”