Desperate Call for Peace: Security Council Urges Immediate Cessation of Violence in South Sudan
United Nations' Security Council urges prompt termination of violence in South Sudan immediately.
Hey there! Let's talk about the latest in South Sudan. After weeks of relentless fighting, the UN Security Council has issued a fierce demand for an immediate halt to the senseless violence engulfing the country.
The Security Council, in a resolution passed last Thursday, has emphatically called for a complete stop to hostilities across South Sudan and the commencement of a political dialogue. Furthermore, they've urged an end to the brutal attacks against innocent civilians.
This resolution, adopted with twelve 'yes' votes and three abstentions (Russia, China, and Pakistan), also extends the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) by a year, keeping the ceiling of 17,000 troops and 2,100 police officers intact, albeit with the possibility of "adjustments" to troop strength.
The situation in South Sudan has grown increasingly dire over the past few months. The renewed conflict between supporters of President Salva Kiir and Vice President Riek Machar, who was arrested in late March, has raised alarming concerns. This latest outbreak of violence poses a threat to the 2018 peace agreement that brought an end to a five-year civil war, resulting in the death of around 400,000 people.
South Sudan, rich in oil reserves yet one of the poorest countries in the world, is facing a severe crisis. Here are a few insights that shed light on the challenges the nation is currently grappling with:
- Violence has intensified in regions like Nasir County, Western Bahr el-Ghazal, Western Equatoria, Unity, Jonglei, and Upper Nile states. Clashes are taking place between government forces and local armed youth groups like the White Army.
- The government holds Riek Machar responsible for supporting armed youth groups, a charge he denies. Machar's controversial "house arrest" in March has triggered widespread condemnation and demands for his release and dialogue resumption.
- Reports suggest that government forces have conducted airstrikes and attacks on opposition positions outside Juba, with human rights organizations accusing them of using improvised incendiary weapons in Upper Nile, causing civilian casualties.
Stay tuned for more updates on this pressing issue. We'll keep you posted as things progress. Peace and stability, after all, are paramount for the people of South Sudan.
- The community policy within South Sudan must prioritize the immediate cessation of violence and initiatives for political dialogue, ensuring the protection of civilians.
- The employment policy of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) is extended for another year, with the ceiling of troops and police officers remaining at 17,000 and 2,100, respectively, although adjustments to troop strength are possible.
- The UN Security Council, acknowledging the escalating violence in South Sudan amidst the renewed conflict, calls for investment in peacekeeping missions to prevent a resurgence of war-and-conflicts in the region.
- As the latest crisis in South Sudan unfolds, mainstream media such as Whatsapp are being utilized as tools for sharing general-news, raising awareness, and mobilizing the global community to put an end to the ongoing violence in the nation.
