{"id":44014,"date":"2026-04-20T15:48:08","date_gmt":"2026-04-20T13:48:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/?p=44014"},"modified":"2026-04-20T15:48:08","modified_gmt":"2026-04-20T13:48:08","slug":"unmiss-calls-on-leaders-to-embrace-peace-as-15th-independence-approaches","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/20\/unmiss-calls-on-leaders-to-embrace-peace-as-15th-independence-approaches\/","title":{"rendered":"UNMISS calls on leaders to embrace peace as 15th independence approaches"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Yiep Joseph<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

UNMISS Chief Anita Kiki Gbeho has called on South Sudan\u2019s leaders to embrace peace as the country approaches its 15th independence anniversary.<\/span><\/p>\n

Gbeho, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), made the call while addressing the UN Security Council.<\/span><\/p>\n

While briefing the Council on 17 April, she said the operating environment in South Sudan had become \u201cmore complex\u201d, hence there is a need for leaders to embrace peace. <\/span><\/p>\n

The violence, she noted, has in some cases been accompanied by inflammatory rhetoric, further heightening tensions.<\/span><\/p>\n

In addition to UN efforts to support the peace agreement in South Sudan, Kiki urged the country\u2019s leaders to implement peace as the nation approaches Independence Day.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis does not diminish the responsibility of South Sudanese leaders to implement the Peace Agreement, particularly as the country approaches the 15th anniversary of its independence,\u201d Kiki said.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI therefore encourage the government to embrace peace, to take demonstrable steps, to gain confidence, and to meet the aspirations of their people,” she added.<\/span><\/p>\n

She also called on the UN Security Council to continue supporting all efforts, such as dialogue and the AU C5 declarations, among others.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI also encourage the Council to continue its unified support for a political pathway consistent with the February AU C5 Declaration, including an immediate ceasefire, inclusive dialogue, and conditions conducive to credible elections,” she said.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to the UNMISS chief, the\u00a0conflicts are compounding insecurity at the local level and undermining efforts to stabilize communities.<\/span><\/p>\n

She cited recent situations in Akobo and Abiemnhom, where escalating violence during planned drawdowns compelled UNMISS to temporarily extend its presence to prevent further deterioration and enable humanitarian access.<\/span><\/p>\n

While such interventions proved critical, she stressed that they are not financially sustainable under current budget constraints.<\/span><\/p>\n

Further limitations, including reduced mine action capacity, have delayed responses to humanitarian requests in areas contaminated by explosive hazards, particularly in Jonglei.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to Gbeho, the Mission\u2019s reduced engagement with local authorities and communities has also affected early warning systems and confidence-building efforts, raising concerns over the spread of misinformation and declining trust.<\/span><\/p>\n

Politically, she noted that the transition process remains fragile, with unilateral decisions continuing to affect the functioning of transitional institutions, even as some progress has been recorded.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

In 2026, South Sudan will mark its 15th independence anniversary on 9 July, just a month away, as calls grow for leaders to embrace peace ahead of the national milestone.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Yiep Joseph UNMISS Chief Anita Kiki Gbeho has called on South Sudan\u2019s leaders to embrace peace as the country approaches its 15th independence anniversary. Gbeho, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), made the call while addressing the UN[Read More…]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":44015,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[80,79],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-44014","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\/2026\/04\/UNMISS-Head-during-a-session.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44014","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\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=44014"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44014\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":44016,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44014\/revisions\/44016"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/44015"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=44014"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=44014"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=44014"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}