By William Madouk
The outgoing Norwegian Ambassador, Linken Nymann Berryman, has bid farewell to the people of South Sudan, urging all parties involved in the 2018 peace agreement, as well as non-signatories, to embrace peace and reconciliation.
“As I prepare to return to my home country, I carry with me fond memories but also a deep respect and admiration for all the people I have met dedicated to working for a better tomorrow for the people of South Sudan,” Linken said in her final remarks.
“We continue to urge the parties to the R-ARCSS, as well as the non-signatories to use the opportunity that the Tumaini Initiative represents to embrace peace,” she added.
Ambassador Linken urged the parties to engage in dialogue for South Sudan to transition peacefully and conduct credible elections.
“To all the parties involved, we say: negotiate in good faith. Compromise. There needs to be willingness to also give and not just take. The R-ARCSS interparty talks at the leadership level in Juba must start,” the Norwegian envoy added.
“And, let it be clear: We do not support actions that undercut the 2018 peace agreement. We do support actions that bring more parties inside the tent. We want to see a commitment to prepare for peaceful and credible elections,” she noted.
She reiterated that the government must open up political and civil space, integrate the armed forces, and fund the necessary election institutions as requested by the tripartite: AU, IGAD, and the UN.
According to her, peace and economic stability are closely linked. She asked the transitional government to prioritize public financial management reforms.
The envoy appealed to the Juba administration to commit to the values of public financial management ethics and to use public revenues in a transparent and accountable manner to meet the people’s needs.
“Civil servants, including teachers, health workers, soldiers and police must be paid. This is a matter of utmost urgency and is closely linked to security. There is no time to lose,” he stated.
“The costs of delivering aid created by checkpoints and other illicit efforts to extract revenue from humanitarian aid operations are not acceptable.”
Ambassador Linken stated, “we want to see women free to participate in society on equal terms to men, and for the millions of South Sudanese girls and young women to thrive in a society that protects their rights.”
The envoy called for the political will to expedite legislation to protect women and girls from gender-based violence and forced child marriages.
“It is imperative to urgently enact the Family Bill, Women’s Empowerment Bill and the Anti-GBV Bill,” she continued.
“I encourage all of you here to be ambassadors for the women and girls of South Sudan. A prosperous and peaceful South Sudan depends on it.”
“While this is a farewell, it is not goodbye. I look forward to staying in touch and to supporting our shared endeavors in whatever capacity I can,” she concluded.
Her tenure has been marked by a commitment to supporting peace initiatives, and she leaves with a hopeful message for the future of South Sudan