{"id":41811,"date":"2025-12-28T14:39:10","date_gmt":"2025-12-28T12:39:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/?p=41811"},"modified":"2025-12-28T14:39:10","modified_gmt":"2025-12-28T12:39:10","slug":"unmiss-reaffirms-civilian-protection-mandate-amid-rising-violence-urges-political-action-ahead-of-elections","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/2025\/12\/28\/unmiss-reaffirms-civilian-protection-mandate-amid-rising-violence-urges-political-action-ahead-of-elections\/","title":{"rendered":"UNMISS Reaffirms Civilian Protection Mandate Amid Rising Violence, Urges Political Action Ahead of Elections"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Alan Clement<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has pledged to remain steadfast in its mandate to protect civilians as the country grapples with rising violence, political deadlocks, and economic hardship.<\/p>\n

In a holiday message delivered by UNMISS Spokesperson Priyanka Chowdhury on behalf of Officer in Charge Anita Kiki Gbeho, the mission underscored both the urgency of addressing security challenges and the need for political leaders to translate dialogue into concrete action ahead of the nation\u2019s first elections.<\/p>\n

\u201cSouth Sudan continues to face profound challenges. Rising violence and political deadlocks have placed additional strain on communities already grappling with conflict, economic hardship, and recurrent climate shocks,\u201d Chowdhury said, quoting Gbeho\u2019s message.<\/p>\n

The statement comes at a critical juncture. In 2026, South Sudan will mark 15 years of independence while preparing to hold its first national elections.<\/p>\n

UNMISS emphasized that this milestone demands inclusive dialogue and tangible fulfillment of political commitments, particularly in ways that prioritize the rights and dignity of women and youth.<\/p>\n

While acknowledging recent engagements aimed at rebuilding compromise among South Sudan\u2019s leaders, Gbeho cautioned that such efforts must be sustained and translated into action.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese efforts must be sustained and translated into concrete action to stop violence and restore public trust in the peace process,\u201d the message noted.<\/p>\n

UNMISS has long been tasked with protecting civilians in South Sudan, where communities remain vulnerable to cycles of conflict and displacement.<\/p>\n

The mission\u2019s presence has been critical in deterring violence, supporting peacebuilding initiatives, and assisting humanitarian operations. Yet, the holiday message made clear that protection alone is not enough without political will.<\/p>\n

The dual emphasis in the statement on civilian protection and political accountability reflects the intertwined nature of South Sudan\u2019s challenges. Violence undermines trust in institutions, while political stalemates stall reforms needed to stabilize the country.<\/p>\n

With elections looming, UNMISS is signalling that the credibility of the peace process will depend on leaders\u2019 ability to deliver on promises.<\/p>\n

The message also carried a note of hope. \u201cFor our part, as UNMISS we remain steadfast in our mandate to protect civilians and to support the people and Government of South Sudan in their pursuit of lasting peace and prosperity,\u201d Chowdhury said.<\/p>\n

As the holiday season unfolds, Gbeho extended wishes of peace and safety to South Sudanese citizens. \u201cDuring this holiday season, I wish those who celebrate a peaceful Christmas, and to all South Sudanese, a safer and hopeful New Year,\u201d the message concluded.<\/p>\n

With the country approaching a pivotal year, UNMISS\u2019s call serves as both reassurance of its continued support and a reminder to South Sudan\u2019s leaders that the path to peace requires more than words it requires action.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Alan Clement The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has pledged to remain steadfast in its mandate to protect civilians as the country grapples with rising violence, political deadlocks, and economic hardship. In a holiday message delivered by UNMISS Spokesperson Priyanka Chowdhury on behalf of Officer in Charge[Read More…]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":41812,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[80,79],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-41811","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-national","category-news"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/UNMISS-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41811","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=41811"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41811\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":41813,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41811\/revisions\/41813"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/41812"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41811"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=41811"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=41811"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}