JUBA – The United Nations Security Council is expected to vote Friday on the renewal of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) mandate, as Juba faces a “deteriorating” security environment ahead of long-delayed elections.
Reports from the capital on Thursday indicated heightened anxiety as hostilities persist between the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) and the SPLA-in-Opposition.
Diplomatic sources in Juba suggest that while Western Council members are pushing for stricter human rights benchmarks in the new mandate, the “A3” (African members of the Council) along with China and Russia are advocating for a “balanced” approach that respects Juba’s sovereignty.
The political atmosphere remains fragile. Disagreements over the electoral roadmap and the unification of the national army continue to stall the 2018 peace agreement’s implementation. Humanitarian agencies warned on Thursday that the security vacuum is exacerbating a food crisis, with thousands displaced in the Greater Upper Nile region.
“The scale of insecurity is at levels not seen since the peak of the civil war,” a confidential security report noted. The government in Juba has urged the international community to provide technical support for the elections rather than “undue political pressure.”
