U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, has called on South Sudan’s transitional government to prioritize free and fair elections, protect civilians, and address humanitarian challenges during a UN Security Council briefing on South Sudan.
In her remarks, Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield cmmmended the efforts of UNMISS (United Nations Mission in South Sudan) and regional partners, particularly the Kenyan-led Tumaini Initiative, for advancing dialogue and promoting transparency in the electoral process.
She emphasized that South Sudan’s leaders must engage in urgent dialogue to bring the long transitional period, which began in 2011, to a peaceful conclusion through legitimate elections.
However, she expressed deep concern over provisions in the National Security Service (NSS) Act that could undermine freedom of expression and further erode the country’s political and civic environment.
The NSS Act, if passed, would allow arrests without warrants, a move the U.S. urges the transitional government to reconsider.
Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield also highlighted the impact of taxes and fees imposed on UN, humanitarian, and diplomatic cargoes, which have hindered vital humanitarian operations.
These taxes have forced the World Food Programme to cut its UN Humanitarian Air Service flights by half, affecting the delivery of aid to 145,000 people and delaying the pre-positioning of supplies ahead of the rainy season.
With over 8 million people in South Sudan facing acute food insecurity, and the number expected to rise as Sudanese refugees continue to flee south, the Ambassador stressed the urgency of establishing a clear and consistent system for tax exemptions.
She called on the transitional government to cease these impediments and ensure unrestricted freedom of movement for UNMISS personnel and humanitarian aid.
The briefing also addressed the alarming increase in violence against civilians, with nearly a thousand people subjected to killings, injuries, abductions, and sexual violence in the first quarter of 2024—a 24% increase from the previous year.
The U.S. urged South Sudan’s government to take immediate action to protect its civilians and comply with the status-of-forces agreement (SOFA) with UNMISS, which grants the mission unrestricted freedom of movement.
