Ter Manyang, Executive Director, The Center for Peace and Advocacy (CPA), a human rights organization based in Juba,
The executive director of the Center for Peace and Advocacy
(CPA) has urged political leaders to prioritize peace after the UN Security
Council extended the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) until May 9, 2025,
citing ongoing regional threats.
The decision was made during the Council’s 9909th meeting
held on 30 April.
Ter Manyang, executive director, said the move shows global
concern over country’s direction and urged leaders to urgently pursue
peace.
“Our country is on the brink of becoming a crisis zone.
South Sudanese political leaders should prioritize peace above all. We need
peace to rebuild our lives as citizens,” Manyang told The Radio Community in an
interview.
“This indicates that the world is growing worried about
South Sudan's ongoing issues. This is why the mandate of the U.N. Mission in
South Sudan (UNMISS) was extended for nine days, an unprecedented move.”
Notably, diplomatic missions are pulling out of South Sudan
following the Nasir conflict, which killed over 400 soldiers and civilians and
led to the detention of First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar and SPLM-IO
leaders, who are under investigation.
Germany and Norway have temporarily closed their embassies,
citing rising tensions and fears of renewed civil war.
This political unrest threatens to collapse the 2018 peace
agreement, risking a return to full-scale conflict if de-escalation efforts
fail.
However, President Salva Kiir has repeatedly assured that the country will never go back to war.