SOUTH SUDAN / SRSG HAYSOM PRESSER

STORY: SOUTH SUDAN / SRSG HAYSOM PRESSER
TRT: 02:35
SOURCE: UNMISS
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH/NATS

DATELINE: 13 JANUARY 2023, JUBA, SOUTH SUDAN

SHOTLIST:

DATELINE: 13 JANUARY 2023, JUBA, SOUTH SUDAN

1. Various shots, Journalists in the hall
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Nicholas Haysom, Special Representative of the Secretary-General & Head of UNMISS:
“It will be crucial that South Sudan meets all its critical benchmarks, particularly those that are time bound, and this would require a sense of urgency in the coming year. As I shared with the Security Council, my fear is that slippages in meeting the timeframes will have a domino effect on key benchmarks that will be crucial down the line. Progress needs to be accomplished this year, 2023, not next year, and benchmarks that have been missed need to be recovered.”
3. Various shots, members of media
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Nicholas Haysom, Special Representative of the Secretary-General & Head of UNMISS:
“The electoral process must be carried out in a secure environment, free from violence and intimidation. It must be complemented by the necessary political and civic space to allow for open dialogue, debate, and campaigning. This requires dealing with the fault lines and divisions that have fueled violence over the last decade. Self-evidently, those conditions are not here yet. Creating the environment where elections can take place requires South Sudanese to engage each other, putting the interests of the country first.”
5. Various shots, journalist listening
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Nicholas Haysom, Special Representative of the Secretary-General & Head of UNMISS:
“This violence and fighting, disturbingly characterized by tribal undertones in many areas, is particularly damaging. It poses a real threat to the gains achieved so far and could even derail the peace process. Every one of these conflicts leaves behind a legacy of bitterness and division.”

STORYLINE:

The Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, Nicholas Haysom, held a press conference today in the capital Juba. The Special Representative said that elections are important for the stability of the country and will allow the country to move forward towards a peaceful and productive future.

He said he recently briefed the United Nations Security Council on the progress and challenges that the Transitional Government of National Unity face in implementing the agreed-on roadmap.

SOUNDBITE (English) Nicholas Haysom, Special Representative of the Secretary-General & Head of UNMISS:
“It will be crucial that South Sudan meets all its critical benchmarks, particularly those that are time bound, and this would require a sense of urgency in the coming year. As I shared with the Security Council, my fear is that slippages in meeting the timeframes will have a domino effect on key benchmarks that will be crucial down the line. Progress needs to be accomplished this year, 2023, not next year, and benchmarks that have been missed need to be recovered.”

The peace agreement, Mr. Haysom said, has created a series of zero-sum struggles for power, in which local politicians are not accountable to the local communities, but to people in Juba. These power struggles have created tensions, which are likely to increase as the country slowly moves towards elections.

SOUNDBITE (English) Nicholas Haysom, Special Representative of the Secretary-General & Head of UNMISS:
“The electoral process must be carried out in a secure environment, free from violence and intimidation. It must be complemented by the necessary political and civic space to allow for open dialogue, debate, and campaigning. This requires dealing with the fault lines and divisions that have fueled violence over the last decade. Self-evidently, those conditions are not here yet. Creating the environment where elections can take place requires South Sudanese to engage each other, putting the interests of the country first.”

Added to this, South Sudan continues to face a protracted food security emergency as recurrent conflict, harsh weather, and economic shocks limit food availability. The worsening humanitarian crisis in South Sudan is a reminder of the need for all the parties involved to deliver on their commitments to implement the peace agreement in order to divert a humanitarian disaster in the county.

SOUNDBITE (English) Nicholas Haysom, Special Representative of the Secretary-General & Head of UNMISS:
“This violence and fighting, disturbingly characterized by tribal undertones in many areas, is particularly damaging. It poses a real threat to the gains achieved so far and could even derail the peace process. Every one of these conflicts leaves behind a legacy of bitterness and division.”

South Sudan is struggling with a resurgence of intercommunal violence in the country.