The U.S. Representative to the United Nations has urged South Sudanese leaders to work collaboratively to conduct free, fair, and transparent elections to end the transitional period that has been running since the country’s independence in 2011.
Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield who made the remarks on Wednesday while briefing the UN Security Council during a meeting to discuss South Sudan also stated that “it is long past time the people of the country experience the peace, security, and freedom they have so long demanded, that they fought for, and they so deserve.”
“And so, it is critical South Sudan’s leaders and parties engage in urgent dialogue, and bring this transitional period, started in 2011, finally to an end through peaceful and legitimate elections,” she said. “We have seen steps in the right direction to that end. That includes the Kenyan-led Tumaini Initiative, which has mediated talks between the transitional government and non-signatories to the 2018 Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan. The United States calls on other regional and international partners to provide more robust support to this effort.”
Amb. Thomas-Greenfield added: “We also recognize and commend UNMISS, the AU, and IGAD on their ongoing efforts to help South Sudan ensure transparency, fairness, and inclusivity in its electoral process.”
She stressed that free and fair elections are not just about what happens on Election Day but require open civic and political spaces, every single day, allowing all to meaningfully take part in democracy.
“For that reason, the United States, along with many other diplomatic missions, is deeply concerned that, if passed into law, provisions of the National Security Service Act threaten to further erode the country’s political and civic environment,” the envoy warned. “By allowing arrest without warrant, the NSS Act would curtail freedom of expression. And we urge the transitional government to reconsider.”
She also highlighted that they are alarmed that over the past five months, the transitional government has imposed taxes and fees on UN, humanitarian, and diplomatic cargoes, significantly impacting humanitarian and peacekeeping operations because of the difficulties to import fuel into South Sudan.
“According to the Secretary-General’s 29 July report, these imposed taxes and fees have forced the World Food Programme to reduce UN Humanitarian Air Service flights by half; have halted humanitarian air drops that reach 145,000 people; and have delayed the pre-positioning of humanitarian supplies ahead of the rainy season,” Thomas-Greenfield asserted. “Today, over 8 million people suffer from acute food insecurity in South Sudan, a number that threatens to rise as even more Sudanese refugees flee south. The sheer scale of suffering demands a response equal in magnitude.”
“With that, the United States calls on the transitional government to urgently establish a clear and consistent system for providing exemptions from taxes, duties, and fees imposed on UNMISS, UN specialized agencies, diplomatic missions, and international donors and their contractors, grantees, and implementing partners in South Sudan, so that they can get on with the business of assisting the people of South Sudan at this most difficult time,” she added.
The diplomat firmly stated that these are people for whom the government is responsible and has neglected.
“Of course, ceasing taxes and fees that impede the delivery of aid is necessary, but alone is not sufficient. We urge the transitional government to not only reduce the cost of life-saving assistance and protection but also reduce the risk to it and ensure unrestricted freedom of movement for UNMISS personnel and humanitarians delivering aid,” she remarked. “The United States reminds the transitional government the status-of-forces agreement (SOFA) between South Sudan and UNMISS grants the mission unrestricted freedom of movement and the transitional government has a responsibility to comply with it. SOFA violations threaten the safety and security of UN peacekeepers, and are an issue of grave concern to this Council.”
According to Thomas-Greenfield, they have seen an alarming increase in violence against civilians in South Sudan. The first quarter of 2024 saw nearly a thousand civilians subject to killings, injuries, abductions, and sexual violence-24 percent higher than the same time last year.
“We urgently call upon the transitional government to ensure the protection of its civilians. Colleagues, with both potential elections and rainy season on the horizon, South Sudan is at a critical crossroads,” she concluded. “The transitional government has the opportunity to choose the path of peace and prosperity over fear and desperation. We urge it to make the right choice.”