The Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union (AU) has started a five day-field mission in South Sudan, AU said. During its visit, the PSC delegation, led by Ambassador Bankole Adeoye, Permanent Representative of Nigeria and Chairperson of the PSC for the month of April 2018, will express its solidarity to the people and leadership of South Sudan.
The PSC will also take the opportunity to urge all South Sudanese parties to commit to the resolution of the civil war that erupted on 15th December 2013 and is impeding all efforts that should be directed towards building the African youngest nation, according to AU.
The PSC mission is taking place following the visit by the Chairperson of the Commission to South Africa where he took the opportunity to push forward AU efforts towards peace in South Sudan, and within the larger context of the IGAD-led High Level Revitalization Forum (HLRF), which 3rd phase is due to start in the next coming days, to find a lasting solution to the conflict.
The PSC will take the opportunity of the visit to interact with all South Sudanese stakeholders, as well as with African and international actors, to assess the challenges that are still impeding the implementation of the Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (ARCSS), signed in August 2015, and thus, prolonging the suffering of the brave South Sudanese people, which deserve peace, security and development.
The PSC delegation, reaffirming its commitment that there is no military solution to the conflict, will express support to the ongoing efforts by IGAD, supported by the AU High Level Ad Hoc Committee and the AU High Representative for South Sudan, Alpha Oumar Konare, for the restoration of peace, reconciliation and justice in South Sudan.
The PSC delegation, deeply concerned by the humanitarian situation in South Sudan, will visit the city of Malakal, as part of its field mission.