UNMISS Chief calls for free political space in South Sudan

Nicholas Haysom, head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), speaks during a press conference in Juba, capital of South Sudan, on May 24, 2023. (Photo by Denis Elamu/Xinhua)

The head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) on Thursday urged South Sudanese leaders and people to galvanize momentum towards their first post-independence elections.

Nicholas Haysom who is also the Secretary-General’s Special Representative in South Sudan made the remarks while addressing a press briefing.

“Looking ahead, it would be impossible to envision free, fair, and credible elections in December 2024, unless all South Sudanese parties, leaders, and stakeholders grab the bull by the horns, and agree on a critical mass of decisions by the first quarter of 2024,” he said.

He said the process for the elections must have the full buy-in and support of the South Sudanese, especially in the case of a country emerging from divisive conflict. 

“Today, the honest assessment of many observers and stakeholders is that the current political and civic operating space does not offer a level playing field. Therefore, the parties must agree on a code of conduct around free, fair, and transparent competition,” Haysom counseled. “UNMISS cautions against the temptation towards unilateral actions that undermine the trust that is needed amongst all stakeholders.”

The UNMISS Chief stressed that the long-delayed polls must be owned and led by the South Sudanese themselves.  

“At the end of this year, the Secretary-General will be reporting to the Security Council on progress towards peaceful elections the criteria for which should reflect the will and consensus of the South Sudanese themselves, and not a set of externally driven conditions that is externally driven by the UN,” he stressed.

SRSG Haysom also highlighted the concerns of the international community albeit their goodwill towards South Sudan.

“While there remains much international goodwill towards South Sudan, partners are looking to its leaders and, more broadly, to its political class to translate this moment of truth into a vision of shared peace and prosperity for all,” he said. “Closing this gap requires a collective imagination and a spirit of practical compromise amongst the parties to the Revitalized Peace Agreement,” he urged.”

Haysom applauded the reconstitution of the National Elections Commission, the Political Parties Council, and the National Constitutional Review Commission, while noting that these bodies need to be well-funded and put to work expeditiously to carry out their mandates. He also urged the government to address concerns about gender and political representation, given that the credibility of these institutions rests on the trust and confidence of the public that they serve.

“Let me underscore that elections are not a one-day event, but a process that incorporates deliberate and thoughtful decisions before, during, and after the polls,” Haysom said. “All these processes must have the full buy-in and support of the South Sudanese, especially in the case of a country emerging from divisive conflict.”

The UNMISS Chief, emphasized the high cost of inaction, given that South Sudan remains in a humanitarian emergency as UN agencies and other humanitarian partners grapple with funding shortages as they struggle to respond to people in need. The situation in the country’s northern neighbor, Sudan, has made things more complex with tens of thousands of refugees and returnees entering the country in the past months. Adding to this risks to the lives of aid workers continue.

“South Sudan remains one of the deadliest environments for humanitarians to operate in and I condemn, in the strongest terms, attacks against aid workers, which only prevents assistance from reaching those in need,” Haysom stressed.

He also expressed concern over reports of recent violence in the Abyei Administrative Area and Warrap State and urged the government to resolve the conflict there peacefully.