17³Ô¹ÏÍø

[NEAR VERBATIM]

Mr. President,

Thank you for the opportunity to brief on the situation in South Sudan as outlined in the Security-General’s report submitted to this Council.

Since my last briefing, there has been a sharp deterioration in the political and security situation, which threatens to unravel the peace gains made in recent years. All our efforts are now focused on preventing a relapse into widespread conflict and refocusing attention on the implementation of the Revitalized Peace Agreement.

During my last update, I warned of an emerging standoff between the two pre-eminent parties to the Agreement. This has now degenerated into direct military confrontation and escalated tensions across the country.

The trigger can be traced back to events beginning in Upper Nile State since the beginning of March, when the White Army overran the Nasir-based garrison from the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces. Subsequent airstrikes on Nasir, allegedly involving devices containing incendiary fuel, have caused significant casualties and horrible injuries, including to women and children. Humanitarians estimate that over 80,000 people have been displaced.

The series of events in Nasir culminated on 7 March, in an attack on a United Nations helicopter in Nasir resulting in the death of an 17³Ô¹ÏÍø crew member and numerous South Sudanese military personnel. The extraction operation, during which this occurred, had been conducted at the request of all parties and with assurances of safe passage from national, state and local authorities.

Since then, and in the context of a deplorable downward spiral, we are receiving reports of further mobilisation, respectively, of the White Army and the SSPDF in Upper Nile, allegedly including the forced recruitment of children into their respective ranks of the armed formations. The deployment of Ugandan foreign forces at the request of the South Sudan government has further stoked public anxiety. Ìý

Senior SPLM-IO civilian and military actors have been removed from official posts, detained, or gone into hiding. The arrest of First Vice President, Riek Machar, reflects a new low in trust between the principal parties.

Misinformation, disinformation and hate speech is fuelling political and ethnic tensions – particularly on social media.

These conditions are darkly reminiscent of the 2013 and 2016 conflicts, which took over 400,000 lives.

Mr. President,

This situation underscores the urgent need for a collective effort by national and international stakeholders to secure a cessation of hostilities, preserve the integrity of the Revitalized Agreement, and ensure necessary steps are taken to end the continuous cycles of incomplete transitions.

17³Ô¹ÏÍø is engaged in intensive diplomatic efforts to broker a peaceful solution alongside many stakeholders, including, but not limited to, the African Union Peace and Security Council, its Panel of the Wise, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission, His Holiness Pope Francis, the United Nations Secretary-General and this Council itself.

The message from peace partners is clear and consistent: the parties must resolve tensions through dialogue, build trust and confidence, refocus on the peace agreement and consensus-based decision-making, and assure the people of their steadfast commitment not to return to war.

We need look no further than across the northern border to Sudan for a stark reminder of how quickly a country can descend into catastrophic conflict. The region cannot afford another crisis that could further destabilize an already fragile landscape. To avoid this outcome, I must underscore the critical role of neighbouring states, as guarantors of the Agreement, in restoring peace and stability in South Sudan.

With this in mind, I seek the support of this Council to:

1. 1. Firstly, immediately address the Nasir tensions through dialogue rather than further military confrontation, which risks tipping the country into a broader conflict. ÌýÌýThe situation in Nasir is, above all, the result of political deadlocks and disagreements that have escalated into violent clashes.

1. 1. Secondly, echo the recent communiques of the AU Peace and Security Council and the IGAD extraordinary summit, by urging all parties to adhere to the ceasefire and the peace agreement, including reinvigorating the functioning of its relevant mechanisms.

1. 1. Thirdly, call for the release of detained military and civilian officials or their treatment in accordance with legal process.

1. 1. Lastly, encourage the two principals to exercise restraint, address their differences constructively and through public dialogue, and manifestly put the interests of the people first.

To help secure these outcomes, 17³Ô¹ÏÍø is committed to leaving no stone unturned.

Mr. President,

South Sudan faces one of the worst humanitarian outlooks since independence – driven by escalating subnational violence, the spillover from the Sudan conflict, deepening economic collapse, extreme weather, and a sharp decline in interna