U.N.: South Sudan needs to stand tall
JUBA, South Sudan, Sept. 29 (UPI) — South Sudan needs to show the international community it can stand tall as the world’s newest member, a U.N. special envoy said from Juba.
South Sudan became the world’s latest independent nation in July. Independence was gained as a result of an agreement reached in 2005 that ended Sudan’s bloody civil war. Border skirmishes and economic disputes, however, threaten the peace deal.
Hilde Johnson, U.N. special envoy to Sudan and head of the U.N. mission there, told delegates at a press briefing in Juba she welcomed South Sudanese President Salva Kiir’s message of peace and resilience at the U.N. General Assembly recently.
Kiir, in his address, said he was determined to build a strong and vibrant South Sudan that would live in peace and harmony with its neighbors.
"The management of these critical processes and the political milestones will be important for South Sudan’s standing internationally," said Johnson.
Johnson added that, with ethnic clashes erupting in parts of the country, a comprehensive effort was needed to maintain stability. U.N. peacekeepers had deployed to Jonglei state to defuse the tensions.
"What we are doing now is stop-gap measures and trying to get processes in place that can help resolve the issues over time," said Johnson. "But it is only through a comprehensive, multi-pronged strategy that stability and peace in Jonglei can really happen."
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