Declaração do Representante Permanente Alterno, Embaixador João Genésio de Almeida Filho, durante reunião do Conselho de Segurança sobre a situação no Sudão do Sul - 7 de março de 2022 (texto em inglês)

United Nations Security Council

Briefings and consultations on the situation in South Sudan

Monday, 7 March 2022, 10:00 a.m.

Security Council Chamber

Thank you, Madame President.

Before I start, let me commend, on behalf of Brazil, the personnel of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan for their brave and vital work.

Then I would like to thank Special Representative Haysom, General Tai Gituai, and Madame Williams Yuyada for their briefings.

Madame President,

I would like to highlight three issues in South Sudan that merit the Council’s attention and action.

The first one is the protection of civilians. We all know and appreciate that South Sudanese authorities bear the core responsibility of this duty. In Brazil’s view, this is also a cornerstone of UNMISS mandate. In this sense, the recently published UNMISS report that compiles 2021 data on violence affecting civilians made it clear that South Sudan made progress. Not only violent incidents against civilians but also casualties have decreased. We hope this trend points out both to enhanced protection and to improved monitoring and investigation.

Madame President,

The second issue is the peace process. The establishment of the National Legislative Assembly and the approval of the Constitution Amendment Bill are important transitional arrangements. However, implementation of the Revitalized Agreement has been slow. This pace poses risks. We all know that all parties to the agreement should remain fully committed to peace. South Sudan thus need quicker action towards its Necessary Unified Forces. The South Sudanese government should move faster and take advantage of UNMISS’s effort and expertise.

The third and last point I would like to raise relates to inter-communal violence. The recent killings in many parts of the country are deeply concerning. One wonders whether petty motives and inconsequent criminal behavior are the causes of these incidents. Otherwise, if what fuels murder and destruction are revenge, unsolved disputes, and broader dissatisfaction with the transitional security arrangements that the Revitalized Agreement promises to deliver, then the cases of inter-communal violence are even more dangerous. We appreciate the sustained efforts led by, among others, the Ceasefire Transitional Mechanism, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, the Community of Sant’Egidio. However, we remain concerned. Dispute resolution, mediation, good offices will only be truly effective if sound development strategies and fair distribution of resources are in place and palpable to the concerned individuals.

I would like to conclude, Madame President, by reaffirming Brazil’s commitment to peace in every corner of South Sudan. We are proud we have Brazilian experts, police officials, and staff officers that contribute to UNMISS.

Thank you.