Envoys Call For An End To Jonglei Conflicts
Various Envoys in South Sudan have released a joint statement through the United States (US) Embassy, calling for an end to the violence in the volatile Jonglei State. 18 May 2013 By Jacob Achiek Jok BOR, 18 May 2013 [Gurtong] – “We are deeply disturbed by mounting reports of abuse of civilians, including killings, beatings, and looting and destruction of homes and humanitarian facilities. We urge all parties – including the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) and other state and non-state armed actors – to ensure that all civilians, regardless of ethnic group, are protected during armed conflict,” the statement reads. The joint statement was released by Ambassador Susan D. Page (United States), Ambassador Hanne-Marie Kaarstad (Norway), Chargé d’Affaires a.i. Jon Dean (United Kingdom), Ambassador Sven Kühn von Burgsdorff (European Union), Head of Office Nicholas Coghlan (Canada), Ambassador Stephan Schönemann (Denmark), Chargé d’Affaires a.i. Paul Tholen (The Netherlands), and Head of Cooperation Office Rainer Baudendistel (Switzerland). The Ambassadors say that they are “increasingly concerned about continued violence in Jonglei State” and express condolences to the families of all casualties. They also called on the government to bring those who committed atrocities to account – including members of the security forces – through transparent judicial processes. The release said that they urge all parties to enable humanitarian space in Jonglei, including ensuring safe and unfettered access for humanitarian workers and United Nations representatives to provide assistance and protection to all affected populations, and to enable all wounded to access medical care. It said that the worsening situation in Jonglei State requires a political and not a military solution. “We underscore the need for dialogue between all parties to begin at once. We commend the government of the Republic of South Sudan for its recent offer of amnesty to South Sudanese armed groups, and we urge the groups’ leaders to accept the pardon immediately,” they said. The officials also remind the government that ending the conflict in Jonglei State requires meeting basic needs and addressing the grievances of communities, distinct from meeting demands of rebel leaders. “We encourage the government to urgently address these issues,” it says. The leaders applaud state and national government officials, military officers, and religious and community leaders for their outreach to the youth of Jonglei in urging restraint and stemming inter-communal conflict in recent weeks. They urged the stakeholders to return to the agreed resolutions of the All Jonglei Peace Conference, and that they will offer their support for the immediate implementation of the measures therein. The diplomats said that they are prepared to support humanitarian assistance to all affected populations across Jonglei State, and to increase development alongside improvements in security. Reflecting on the bold and inclusive resolutions reached at the Conference, they call on all parties to support the core commitment by the communities of Jonglei to “peace, reconciliation and tolerance.” >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Joint Statement On Ending Conflict In Jonglei State U.S. EMBASSY JUBA, SOUTH SUDAN Press Release 18 May 2013 Following is the text of a joint statement by Ambassador Susan D. Page (United States), Ambassador Hanne-Marie Kaarstad (Norway), Chargé d’Affaires a.i. Jon Dean (United Kingdom), Ambassador Sven Kühn von Burgsdorff (European Union), Head of Office Nicholas Coghlan (Canada), Ambassador Stephan Schönemann (Denmark), Chargé d’Affaires a.i. Paul Tholen (The Netherlands), and Head of Cooperation Office Rainer Baudendistel (Switzerland). We, the above signatories, are increasingly concerned about continued violence in Jonglei State. We express our condolences to the families of all casualties. We are deeply disturbed by mounting reports of abuse of civilians, including killings, beatings, and looting and destruction of homes and humanitarian facilities. We urge all parties – including the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) and other state and non state armed actors – to ensure that all civilians, regardless of ethnic group, are protected during armed conflict. We call on the government to hold accountable those individuals who have committed abuses in Jonglei – including members of the security forces –through transparent judicial processes. We urge all parties to enable humanitarian space in Jonglei, including ensuring safe and unfettered access for humanitarian workers and United Nations representatives to provide assistance and protection to all affected populations, and to enable all wounded to access medical care. We stress that the worsening situation in Jonglei State requires a political and not a military solution, and we underscore the need for dialogue between all parties to begin at once. We commend the government of the Republic of South Sudan for its recent offer of amnesty to South Sudanese armed groups, and we urge the groups’ leaders to accept the pardon immediately. We also remind the government that ending the conflict in Jonglei State requires meeting basic needs and addressing the grievances of communities, distinct from meeting demands of rebel leaders. We encourage the government to urgently address these issues. We applaud state and national government officials, military officers, and religious and community leaders for their outreach to the youth of Jonglei in urging restraint and stemming inter-communal conflict in recent weeks. We invite all stakeholders to return to the agreed resolutions of the All Jonglei Peace Conference, and we offer our support for the immediate implementation of the measures therein. We are prepared to support humanitarian assistance to all affected populations across Jonglei State, and to increase development alongside improvements in security. Reflecting on the bold and inclusive resolutions reached at the Conference, we call on all parties to support the core commitment by the communities of Jonglei to “peace, reconciliation and tolerance.” Posted in: Foreign Relations, Press Releases -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "South Sudan Info - The Kob" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
