United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) calls for immediate recommitment to peace at pivotal moment for South Sudan

Following reports tonight of the detention of First Vice President, Dr. Riek Machar, the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, calls on all Parties to exercise restraint and uphold the Revitalized Peace Agreement.

“Tonight, the country’s leaders stand on the brink of relapsing into widespread conflict or taking the country forward towards peace, recovery and democracy in the spirit of the consensus that was reached in 2018 when they signed and committed to implementing a Revitalized Peace Agreement,” said the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of UNMISS, Nicholas Haysom.

“Unilateral amendments by Parties to that agreement that jeopardize the hard-won gains of the past seven years risk returning the country back into a state of war. This will not only devastate South Sudan but also affect the entire region.”

UNMISS again urges the Parties to immediately cease hostilities and engage in constructive dialogue that puts the best interests of their people at the forefront of this pivotal moment for the world’s newest nation.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).