South Sudanese civil society group CEPO has welcomed the appointment of Nicholas Haysom of South Africa as Ban Ki-moon's Special Envoy for Sudan and South Sudan, saying that he could help coordinate diverse efforts on South Sudan and Sudan.
“Too many cooks always spoil the soup,” said Executive Director Edmund Yakani of CEPO, pointing out that South SUdan's peace processes involve the African Union, Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission with its other organs, AU High Representative for South Sudan/AU Ad Hoc committee, AU High Implementation Panel for South Sudan and Sudan, UNMISS, UN Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict and others.
“All these actors require proper coordination at UNSG office,” he said.
“Our eye are now mainly on the South Africans (Thabo Mbeki and Nicholas Haysom) and Mali (Alpha Oumar Konaré and Moustapha Soumaré) in coordination with Mr. Festus G. Mogae and Madam Zainab Hawa Bangura and their will for coordination with Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma and Madam Ellen Margrethe Løj. The great expectation is for success but not for confusion,” added Yakani.
CEPO urged Nicholas Haysom to be approachable and make his office doors open for all stakeholders. The civil society group also invited him to visit South Sudan immediately to push the process for the formation of the transitional government of national unity.
Yakani said the JMEC leader has “done all his efforts but the obstacle is the will of the partners to the peace agreement” and the lack of funds.