“UN Warns of ‘Existential Crisis’ in South Sudan as First Post-Independence Election Approaches”
Department of Research, Strategic Studies and International Relations 21-08-2024
South Sudan is facing a severe crisis ahead of its upcoming and uncertain elections, according to warnings from the United Nations.
The head of the UN mission in South Sudan, Nicholas Haysom, has called for additional peace keepers, stressing that the country is far from ready to conductits first election as an independent nation.
The region sur rounding the town of Abiemnom, located in South Sudan, is one of the most unstable areas in the country.
To the northeast, the oil-rich Abyeiregion has experienced violent clashes that have claimed manylives.
The Sudane seborder, further north, isembroiled in a civil war, with the notorious Rapid Support Forces drawing closer.
To the east, armed groups from Warrap state have carried out deadly raids, while militias from Unity state to the south and west have been accused of recent civilian massacres.
This troubled area reflects the broaderethnic and historical tensions threatening South Sudan.
The UN has stationed 72 peace keepers in a small outpost on the outskirts of Abiem nomsince May to manage the tensions in the area.
However, as South Sudan prepares for its first post-independence election, the situation isincreasingly precarious.
What wasintended as a milestone for the young nation isnow a source of growing concern.
The electionis the culmination of a peace agreement signed five years ago to end a civil warth at claimed over 400,000 lives.
However, there are serious concerns that the country is not sufficiently prepared for such a complexevent.
UN officials have warned that if the electionis perceived as unfair or poorly managed, it could plunge the country back intowide spread conflict.
Nicholas Haysom, who leads the UN mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), isvisibly worried as heoversees 14,000 peace keepers spread across the country, with a request for an additional battalion of 1,000 soldiers.
He describes South Sudan as facing an “existential” crisis, exacerbated by a severe foods hortage, the burden of hosting 700,000 refuge esfrom Sudan, and a decline in international aid.
The situation coul dworsen if a criticaloil pipeline in Sudan is disrupted, as oil exports account for nearly 90% of South Sudan’s government revenue, and the economy is already in free fall.
Haysom emphasized the catastrophic consequences of another war in the region, noting that South Sudanis not prepared to holdits first election since gaining independence in 2011.
Initially planned for December, the election’s date remain sun certain, and there has been little progress in the preparations since the first warnings wereissued in April.
Hay somre cently informed the UN Security Council that South Sudan has not made adequate preparations for the December election.
In an earlier interview, heex pressed concerns about the growing uneaseacross the country due to the uncertainty sur rounding the vote.
The ambiguity regarding the election processis also discouraging international donors from providing funds with outguarantees of a fair and transparent process.
The situation has cause dsignificant stress among the population, according to UNMISS’s senior military commander, Lt. Gen. Mohan Subramanian.
Subram aniannoted that histroops are operating in a politically charged environment, with the potential for widespread violence if the situation deteriorates.
The UN has 27 bases in South Sudan, but a strategic review suggests that 36 are needed to maintain stability.
Despite the challenges, Hay somnoted that the South Sudanese people are eager for the democratic process to proceed, event hough they fearit could lead to violence.
In Abiemnom, Capt. Enkhtuya Ariunbold from Mongolia finishes a patrol as hediscusses the precarious situation in the town with County Commissioner Matiop Dau Deng.
While the presence of UN peace keepers has brought some calm, Deng warns that the situation could change rapidly.
