UNITED NATIONS, June 20 (Xinhua) -- The top UN envoy in South Sudan, Nicholas Haysom, on Monday called on political leaders in South Sudan to agree on a roadmap for the country to exit the three-year transitional period.
With only eight months left, the window of opportunity for South Sudan to meet the critical benchmarks to complete its transitional period is closing, Haysom told the UN Security Council in a briefing.
In the months ahead, what is needed is national leadership, resources and a visible commitment by South Sudan's leaders to take the necessary steps for the country to exit the transitional period, he said.
He called on the parties to the peace agreement to agree on a roadmap toward this goal.
"This roadmap should serve to recommit the parties to the revitalized peace agreement and must be accompanied by clear benchmarks and timelines. It should especially address the completion of outstanding tasks, such as the graduation and deployment of the Necessary Unified Forces, the approval of pending key legislation for the constitution-making process and national elections, as well as critical reforms of the security, judicial and financial sectors," said Haysom, the UN secretary-general's special representative and head of the UN Mission in South Sudan.
In regard to the elections, it is important to note that what is required is not only the technical arrangements and logistics, but also an appropriate political environment. The former refers to the necessary transparency and organization for the elections to be considered manifestly a true result of the votes cast. The latter refers to the presence of political space for a robust and competitive political process that is nonetheless a nation-building event, he said.
"Unless the parties demonstrate a collective common purpose, there will be challenges in meeting these commitments. The roadmap also offers an entry point for the international community to align targeted support for priority transitional tasks. It is our view that the sheer magnitude of the tasks ahead requires the international community's full and unrestricted attention," he said.
The scale of sub-national conflict is alarming. In Eastern and Central Equatoria, Unity, Warrap, and Jonglei states, as well as the Abyei administrative area, violence has been perpetrated against civilians, fueling a cycle of cattle raiding, abductions, revenge killings, and gender-based violence, including conflict-related sexual violence, said Haysom.
This year, more than 80 percent of civilian casualties have been attributed to intercommunal violence and community-based militias. This violence divides communities and hampers reconciliation. Peace spoilers have proven adept at instrumentalizing these conflicts for their own interests, he said.
South Sudan is confronting a serious humanitarian crisis. As humanitarian needs grow to an estimated 8.9 million people in need, resources are diminishing. Currently, only 26 percent of the 1.7 billion U.S. dollars required for the humanitarian response plan has been received, he said.
Climate-related displacement, food insecurity, and lack of livelihood opportunities for youth will exacerbate needs and contribute to localized conflict over resources, he warned.
The only viable course of action remains the implementation of the revitalized peace agreement in letter and spirit. And the sustained engagement and continued partnership of the international community is fundamental in ensuring meaningful support for South Sudan, he said. ■
