The Secretary-General met today in Juba with H.E. Salva Kiir Mayardit, President of the Republic of South Sudan.

The Secretary-General stressed that implementing the peace agreement reached in August 2015 must be a matter of priority for the Government, including the urgent formation of the Transitional Government of National Unity with newly appointed First Vice President, Opposition leader Dr. Riek Machar. In this regard, he welcomed the Government’s commitment to implement transitional security arrangements for Juba in accordance with a proposal put forth earlier in the week by the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission. He urged the President to work with Dr. Machar, upon his return, to rebuild mutual trust and confidence from the people and the international community to set the country on a path to stability.

The Secretary General also strongly condemned the outbreak of violence at the UN protection of civilians site in Malakal during the previous week and called on the Government to conduct a full investigation and bring perpetrators to account. He reiterated the UN’s commitment to protection of civilians, both within established UN protection sites and elsewhere in the country, and urged the Government to allow unfettered access to UN personnel and humanitarian partners.

 
Juba, South Sudan, 25 February 2016