Mission chief says peace deal crucial to ending South Sudan crisis

22 Sep 2017

David Shearer, head of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), meeting residents of Kuajok, the capital of Gogrial state. Photo: UNMISS/Isaac Billy

Only an internationally-recognized and functioning peace agreement can end the suffering of millions in South Sudan.

That's the firm view of the head of the UN peacekeeping mission in the country, David Shearer, who's been in New York this week on behalf of UNMISS^[2], as world leaders debate how to help the world's youngest country recover from its conflict-driven humanitarian crisis.

There are two million South Sudanese refugees and nearly two million displaced by fighting between political rivals.

Mr Shearer and his peacekeeping forces are protecting more than 200,000 civilians at sites around the country.

He spoke to Matt Wells about his hopes for a diplomatic breakthrough this week, and explained why he's proud to lead UNMISS.

Duration: 6'38"

References

1. ^{^} Listen (www.bing.com)
2. ^{^} UNMISS (unmiss.unmissions.org)