By Philip Buda Ladu
As this month marks the beginning of the fourth extension of the Revitalized Peace Agreement, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), Nicholas Haysom said there is no more desire for another extension.
South Sudan’s latest extended transitional period begins on the 22, February 2025 marking the fourth such extension of the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement.
Haysom told the Security Council that patience is wearing thin, with the South Sudanese people desiring tangible progress and elections rather than further delays.
“While the people of South Sudan have been patient, there is no appetite for another extension,” Haysom stated. “There is a strong desire for the leaders to focus on the benchmarks set out in the Peace Agreement – without further delay.”
Meanwhile, the ongoing Tumaini talks in Nairobi are seen as crucial, but Haysom noted “continuing divergence of positions” among the parties, calling constructive engagement to reach a more inclusive agreement.
Despite the challenges, the UNMISS chief highlighted progress in four key areas: expanding civic and political space, improving access to justice, advancing security arrangements, and increasing electoral preparedness.
He cited commitments made at the 2024 Governors Forum to repeal sections of the National Security Services Bill, the deployment of mobile courts, the adoption of a framework for security sector management, and the operationalization of the National Elections Commission.
However, Haysom cautioned that these achievements are insufficient to meet the ten critical conditions required for elections and a new constitution.
He pointed to what he termed as six “low-hanging fruits” that require immediate attention. They include; full deployment of the Necessary Unified Forces, civic education, voter registration, amendments to the National Security Services Bill, a code of conduct for political actors and media, and addressing electoral security.
Mr. Haysom emphasized time is of the essence, noting the lack of a harmonized work plan with a timetable for elections, and the disconnect between constitution-making and census timelines and the proposed December 2026 election date.
He also cited funding shortfalls and delayed political decisions as hindering progress.
Furthermore, Haysom stressed that the international community’s support depends on demonstrated political will from South Sudan’s leaders.
He acknowledged the recent visit of the African Union’s C5 and its intent to convene a meeting to galvanize support for election preparations.
On the other hand, South Sudan also faces significant humanitarian, economic, and security challenges. Communal violence, particularly clashes between major forces, continues to plague the country.
The conflict in Sudan has further exacerbated the situation, with over one million refugees and returnees seeking shelter in South Sudan, adding to the 9.3 million people already in need of humanitarian assistance.
The economic crisis is deepening, with soaring food prices, high inflation, and unpaid government salaries.
While the resumption of oil flow is a positive sign, Haysom noted past failures to utilize oil revenue for social services and the peace process.
Haysom announced that UNMISS has received a request from the government to vacate part of its headquarters, a move that poses logistical and financial challenges. He also raised concerns about movement restrictions on peacekeepers in some areas.
Despite these difficulties, Haysom reaffirmed UNMISS’s commitment to supporting South Sudan’s transition, emphasizing the need for a unified approach from the international community to prevent further setbacks and ensure peaceful elections.
Credible election.
The United Kingdom (UK) has called on the transitional government of South Sudan to ensure credible elections in 2026. This sentiment was echoed by Ambassador James Kariuki, UK Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, at the UN Security Council meeting on South Sudan.
Amb. Kariuki in his address stated that the UK is concerned by the precarious political situation in South Sudan characterized by continued restrictions to political and civic space in the country and the lack of progress towards unification of the security forces.
He emphasized that progress in the peace process is critical to creating the conditions for sustainable peace and elections.
The UK diplomat hails UNMISS’s work in building capacity and capability for South Sudan’s electoral institutions but warned that without renewed efforts, progress towards peaceful, inclusive and credible elections risks falling further behind schedule.
Amb. Kariuki reiterated UK’s repeated call on the Transitional Government to match these efforts to provide adequate funding for elections and to pay the salaries of public servants including the security forces.
The transitional unity government has yet to produce their promised work plan to deliver elections in December 2026 based on the new extension.
“We call on the Transitional Government of South Sudan to publish a credible elections preparations work plan and then take the necessary steps towards holding peaceful, inclusive and credible elections in line with the new 2026 timeline” the UK envoy echoed.