The Head of UN Peacekeeping Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix on Tuesday, called the South Sudan’s crisis man-made, and alleged that the leaders of the country were responsible.
Lacroix, the Under-Secretary-General of the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations, told the Security Council amid worsening security and the dire humanitarian and human rights situation in the country.
He called on the international community to demand that the South Sudan’s leadership act in a manner that is expected of them.
“I would like to reiterate that the conflict in South Sudan is a man-made conflict for which the leaders of South Sudan bear a direct responsibility.
“The same leaders responsible for the conflict can also bring the country back from the impending abyss,” Lacroix added.
He underscored the need for genuine political will to halt military operations, peacefully negotiate and make the compromises necessary to achieve sustainable peace in the country.
During the past month, South Sudan has seen rising insecurity because of numerous clashes in many parts of the country, as well as presence of armed groups and soldiers that continues to drive tension.
He said the insecurity has also led to shrinking space for humanitarian action – which used to be very effective, reaching millions with assistance as well as restrictions on the movement of relief actors and the UN Mission in the country (UNMISS).
The human rights situation too remained issue of concern, with alarming reports of extrajudicial killings of civilians, arbitrary arrests and detentions, repression of free speech and harassment of political opponents, he warned.
In his briefing, Lacroix, said that “while dialogue remained key, the unwillingness, so far, of significant opposition groups to join, notably because of the concurrent Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) military operations, the credibility of the National Dialogue process remains in question”.
He recalled a meeting between Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD, an eight-country trade bloc in Africa) Foreign Ministers with President Salva Kiir and his cabinet, held on Oct. 13, during which the IGAD group reportedly committed to support the Revitalisation Forum.
The UN peacekeeping chief called on the members of the Security Council to use their “leverage on all parties and encourage them to engage in this process meaningfully and without any preconditions.”
“The conflict in South Sudan is a direct outcome of a prolonged disproportionate access to power and wealth in the country.
“All future dispensations, therefore, must rest on the principle of inclusivity that leads to equitable power and wealth-sharing,” he said.
Lacroix added that it was critical that all processes and international support must strive to build institutions so that politics shifts from ownership by individuals to those institutions that must be accountable to the people of South Sudan.
Also in his briefing, Lacroix updated the Security Council on the deployment of the Regional Protection Force to the country.
