News (Consolidated) - UNSOM

Local peace dialogue initiatives have proven to have encouraging results and are important to reconcile communities and foster peaceful coexistence. That was a key message at such a peace forum organized by the UNMISS Civil Affairs Division in Bentiu. The forum brought together more than 400 people…

“The national dialogue should be conducted through a bottom-up approach,” proposes the chairperson of the South Sudan Peace Commission. Chuol Rambang says consultations should be conducted from boma (village) to payam (district) and county level, building up to a national consensus and hence…

Peace activist William Ongoro has asked the people of South Sudan to shun hate speech and work on building positive relationships. The former Coordinator for the National Platform for Peace and Reconciliation denounces the spread of insulting and harmful messages on social media and other avenues…

As the July 2016 outbreak of violence in Juba spread further south, relations between civilians and military deteriorated in Yei. The few remaining civilians stay in the town of Yei, as straying beyond a 5-kilometre radius around the town means being considered a “rebel”, and thereby a legitimate…

President Salva Kiir addressed a public rally in Yei town earlier today, calling for peace and stability and promising that a four-month-long national dialogue process will begin in March. The president, accompanied by several ministers and government officials, announced the start of the national…

[New York, 7 February 2017] The Special Adviser of the Secretary-General on the Prevention of Genocide, Adama Dieng, expressed grave concern at the continued level of violence in several areas of South Sudan. “President Salva Kiir has made a commitment to end the violence and bring about peace, yet…

[THE FULL TEXT OF THE CHAIRMAN’S OPENING REMARKS ATTACHED BELOW.] (Audio from Radio Miraya and link to photo album below) JMEC Chairman, H.E. Festus Mogae, opened the February JMEC Plenary, in Juba, by expressing concern and dismay at the outbreak of fighting in South Sudan since the New Year. The…

On Wednesday 8 February, Major Bettina Stelzer, the UNMISS Military Gender Advisor, organized a first meeting to create a network for female military personnel deployed in South Sudan. “It is our responsibility to push the headquarters in our respective countries to recruit more female personnel…

Last week UNESCO trained 51 radio journalists from around the country on conflict-sensitive reporting. Participants agreed that, used in a sensible manner, media has a vital role to play in deescalating conflict and building peace. The three-day-long training, which took place at the Juba Regency…

(Scroll down for audio). The Head of UN Mission in South Sudan, David Shearer, is on a two-day visit to Bentiu and Leer to assess the general situation on the ground. This is his second field visit outside Juba since he arrived at UNMISS in January 2017, after a combined trip to Wau and Rumbek. In…

Fighting in the west bank of the River Nile in the north of South Sudan has reached what the head of the UN mission in the country (UNMISS), David Shearer has described as “worrying proportions.” What began with an exchange of fire between SPLA and Aguelek opposition forces, has expanded…

The Head of the UN Mission in South Sudan and Special Representative of the Secretary-General is continuing with his 2-day visit to the Unity area with a call for peace to allow displaced people to return to their homes. David Shearer visited the UN Protection of Civilians (PoC) site sheltering more…