Sudan conflict impacting peace agreement in South Sudan: UN

By Betul Yuruk

UNITED NATIONS (AA) – A UN envoy said on Tuesday that the war in Sudan is impacting the implementation of the revitalized peace agreement in South Sudan, the world's newest country.

The impacts of the conflict in neighboring Sudan are unfurling along multiple fronts, Nicholas Haysom, the UN special representative, warned in his briefing to the Security Council.

Over 117,000 women, children, and men have crossed over into South Sudan from Sudan along the border areas, he said, adding that the absorption capacity of the government and humanitarians is under strain, with limited local resources and bottlenecks in border towns.

“There is increased competition over scarce resources in areas of new displacements – resulting in an escalation of tensions amongst communities, often with a tribal overtone in an environment marked by prevailing economic hardship, preexisting communal tensions, and the presence of firearms,” he said.

The sudden interruption in imports from Sudan has resulted in essential commodities being “out of reach” for the ordinary people in South Sudan, he added.

He also said that the conflict in Sudan reduces the much-needed bandwidth to focus attention on South Sudan during this critical phase of its transition.

South Sudan slid into civil war in 2013 between the forces of President Salva Kiir and those loyal to Vice President Riek Machar two years after gaining independence from Sudan.

The war ended with a peace agreement and the formation of a national unity government in 2018 between the rival forces.

South Sudan was supposed to hold elections by February 2023 but the elections have been pushed to December 2024.