28 Nov 2012

UN / SUDAN – SOUTH SUDAN

UN peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous told the Security Council today that the "sluggish application" of the recent cooperation agreements between Sudan and South Sudan could impact the economic stability of South Sudan. Meanwhile, South Sudan and humanitarian organizations there launched an appeal for more than a billion US dollars to address urgent humanitarian needs in 2013. UNTV / UNMISS

Posted at: November 28, 2012 6:55 pm

Duration: 02:55

Available in: SD

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STORY: UN / SUDAN-SOUTH SUDAN
TRT: 2.55
SOURCE: UNTV / UNMISS
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: FRENCH / ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 28 NOVEMBER 2012 NEW YORK CITY / JUBA, SOUTH SUDAN

SHOTLIST:

FILE – UNTV – 2011, NEW YORK CITY

1. Wide shot, exterior United Nations Headquarters

UNTV – 28 NOVEMBER 2012 NEW YORK CITY

2. Wide shot, Security Council
3. Cutaway, delegates
4. SOUNDBITE (French) Hervé Ladsous, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, United Nations:
"The sluggish application of these agreements however could have a negative impact on the economic stability of South Sudan, in particular if there are delays in the oil exports and I am sure that you know the extent to which this country is dependent on oil revenues."
5. Cutaway, delegates
6. SOUNDBITE (French) Hervé Ladsous, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, United Nations:
"On the whole the security situation in South Sudan has remained stable over the past four months. Nonetheless the state of Jonglei continues to be the epicentre of ongoing security challenges while the area of the three borders of Unity, Warrap and the Lakes region are also dealing with an insurgence of instability."
7. Cutaway, delegates
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Hervé Ladsous, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, United Nations:
"The recent activities of militias led by David Yau Yau are a serious concern. Information on the ground points to high risks of an escalation of violence as the dry season approaches. David Yau Yau's militia has been regularly clashing with SPLA troops throughout the reporting period and has threatened UN peacekeepers in the State."
9. Cutaway, delegates
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Hervé Ladsous, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, United Nations:
"We are alarmed by the Government's 23 October decision to expel one of UNMISS's senior human rights officers, an act which had no justification and was in clear violation of the United Nations Charter and the Status of Forces Agreement signed by the United Nations and the Government authorities at the highest levels. The order has yet to be rescinded."
11. Wide shot, Security Council

UNMISS – 28 NOVEMBER 2012, JUBA, SOUTH SUDAN

12. Wide shot, conference hall with members of press
13. Med shot, journalists seated
14. SOUNDBITE (English) Joseph Lual Achuil, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management
"The population affected is going to be more than we had last year. In a sense not like when we had a deficit of shortage of food, but the people to be targeted according to the papers we have ahead of us is 4.6 million. Out of 4.6 million of these populations there are various sections that we will deal with. The food insecure group will be 2.3. The balance out of 4.6 are targeted populations and communities that will be met through other services." 
15. Wide shot, journalist asking question
16. SOUNDBITE (English) Toby Lanzer, Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General, UNMISS, Humanitarian Coordinator and Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme:
"This is a fragile State. What we are saying though, it is less fragile this year than it was last year. The trend, the data shows that, and it is possible that there will be some disturbances in some parts of the country such as Jonglei, and if there are we will address those as they arise."
17. Wide shot, journalists leaving conference hall

STORYLINE:

The United Nations peacekeeping chief today (28 November) warned that the lack of progress on outstanding issues between Sudan and South Sudan is having a negative impact on the stability of the latter, putting at risk the progress made since it gained independence from the former in 2011.

South Sudan became independent from Sudan in July last year, six years after the signing of the peace agreement that ended decades of warfare between the north and the south. However, the peace between the two countries has been threatened recently by clashes along their common border and outstanding post-independence issues that have yet to be resolved.

Hervé Ladsous, who presented the Secretary-General's latest report on South Sudan, stressed that tensions between the two States have subsided since they signed the 27 September Cooperation Agreements, which created a roadmap to facilitate post-secession relations. 
However, Ladsous said "the sluggish" application of those agreements could have a "negative impact on the economic stability of South Sudan, in particular if there are delays in oil exports.

Ladsous told Council members that while the country had remained stable for the past four months, the State of Jonglei continued to be the epicentre of ongoing security challenges.

In December last year, inter-communal violence in the state between the Lou Nuer and Murle groups led to nearly 900 deaths, incidents of abductions of women and children, the destruction of homes and the displacement of thousands of civilians. Violence resurged this August, as a renegade group of armed youth killed 24 members of the South Sudanese army and displaced more civilians.

Ladsous added that the area of the three borders, Unity, Warrap and the Lakes region "are also dealing with an insurgence of instability".

Noting that the progress towards to inter-communal reconciliation and peace building had been slow, and that outreach towards community leaders to prevent recruitment of their youths had met little success, Ladsous said that the recent activities of militias led by David Yau Yau "are a serious concern".

Ladsous also expressed his alarm at the South Sudanese Government's decision on 23 October to expel one of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS)'s senior human rights officers. The act, he said "had no justification and was in clear violation of the United Nations Charter and the Status of Forces Agreement signed by the United Nations and the Government authorities at the highest levels", and "the order has yet to be rescinded".

Meanwhile in South Sudan's capital Juba, the South Sudanese government and humanitarian organisations launched a consolidated humanitarian appeal of 1.16 billion US dollars to address urgent humanitarian needs for the country in 2013.

Speaking at the launch of the appeal the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Joseph Lual Achuil said that despite cultivation over the past year, almost 40 percent of the population remained food insecure, mainly as a result of floods experienced in many parts of the country.

The UN's chief humanitarian official in South Sudan, Toby Lanzer said at the launch the trend showed that "it is possible that there will be some disturbances in some parts of the country such as Jonglei, and if there are we will address those as they arise."

More than a third of the funding required is expected to enable the pre-positioning of emergency aid in deep field locations.