EU Welcomes Progress Achieved In South Sudan In 1 Year, Yet Instability Persists - Borrell

The European Union positively assesses the progress made by South Sudan in building democratic institutions over the past year, but the situation in the country remains unstable and "too little" is done to recover from the conflict, EU's top diplomat Josep Borrell said on Thursday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 04th March, 2021) The European Union positively assesses the progress made by South Sudan in building democratic institutions over the past year, but the situation in the country remains unstable and "too little" is done to recover from the conflict, EU's top diplomat Josep Borrell said on Thursday.

The statement came as the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) announced its plans to redeploy personnel and resources to build the capacity of the country's democratic institutions, such as the courts and national police. While addressing UN Security Council on Wednesday, mission head David Shearer said that the transitional government needs to accelerate the implementation of the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement not to return to widespread violence.

"One year after the formation of the Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity, the EU takes positive note of recent announcements on transitional justice and the nomination of some of the local governments. Yet, too little progress has taken place and instability persists," Borrell said in a statement.

According to the diplomat, the humanitarian situation in the country remains critical and is exacerbated by high levels of violence and a predicted dire food crisis in the coming months, affecting over 60 percent of the population.

"A rapid implementation of the Security Arrangements of the Peace Agreement is paramount. It requires the urgent formation of the Necessary Unified Forces with a clear and inclusive chain of command. Measures must be taken to prevent and deter any further military defections from one armed side to the other, which are often accompanied by violence against civilians and violations of the ceasefire," Borrell added.

The official also reaffirmed the bloc's readiness to deepen its partnership with South Sudan, noting that reforms outlined in the peace agreement need to be implemented for this cooperation to be effective. The reforms, in particular, aim at enhancing public financial management, transparency and accountability, making the judiciary more effective, and ensuring basic social services, among other things.

In July, South Sudan will mark ten years of independence from Sudan. South Sudan has been engulfed in a civil war between the government of President Salva Kiir and the opposition since 2013. The conflict killed nearly 400,000 people and displaced more than four million, according to UN figures.

In September 2018, Kiir signed a peace agreement with rebel leader Riek Machar, after which the Transitional Government of National Unity was formed in February last year.