The Secretary-General’s Special Representative for South Sudan and Head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), Nicholas Haysom, has urged all signatories to the revitalized peace agreement to respect the vital document, a Thursday press release said.

He said SPLM-IO’s decision to pull out of the security mechanisms is worrying.

“The decision by the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-In Opposition (SPLM-IO) to suspend its participation in the security mechanisms of the peace agreement is deeply worrying,” SRSG Haysom stated. “However, we acknowledge some of the concerns raised by the SPLM-IO, especially the alarming spike in violent conflict in Upper Nile and Unity states that has directly impacted their cantonment sites as well as innocent civilians.”

The statement said the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC) has noted the concerns and consequential violence regarding ongoing defections among the ranks of stakeholders, calling on all parties to comply fully with the letter and spirit of the Peace Agreement.

“Less than 12 months of the transitional period remain; it is crucial that all parties continue their best efforts to sustain the ceasefire and work towards implementing all outstanding benchmarks so that free and fair elections can take place,” SRSG Haysom added.

He warned that there is no military solution to the conflict in South Sudan.

“I encourage all political parties to put aside their differences in the larger interest of peace, progress, and prosperity. UNMISS stands ready to extend its full support in this regard,” the SRSG said.

The press statement concluded that UNMISS will continue to engage with communities and authorities in all volatile locations to prevent further escalation and to support humanitarian partners in delivering aid to the conflict-affected.