The United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean-Piere Lacroix has said South Sudan’s political leaders are the ones who can restore peace in the war torn nation.
Lacroix told the Security Council that the international community must do more to pile pressure on the warring factions to dialogue.
He noted that the country should consider putting plans in place to ensure inclusivity and equity.
“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.
While a process is underway to bring rival sides together for an inclusive national dialogue, the unwillingness of some key opposition groups to participate has corroded credibility.
Over the past month, the U.N. has noted increased security issues: including violence across many parts of South Sudan, reports of extrajudicial killings of civilians and arbitrary arrests and obstructed aid deliveries.
“Despite a highly effective humanitarian operation that has reached millions of life-saving assistance, without a reduction in conflict and improved access, humanitarian indicators are likely to continue to deteriorate,” he said.
The plan to deploy a regional protection force to Juba is also being debated as clashes have moved away from the city, raising the question of whether the force can be diverted elsewhere.
South Sudan has been at war since December 2013, following accusations by President Salva Kiir that his then deputy Riek Machar was plotting a coup against his government. Machar denied the allegations but then went on to mobilize a rebel force to fight the government.
The rebel leader is currently holed up in South Africa, where he went to seek medical treatment following clashes in the capital Juba in July 2016.
