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UNMISS Chief: South Sudan Peace Process Limping Along

Dimo Silva Aurelio

   JUBA , SOUTH SUDAN - A top U.N. official says South Sudan's peace
   process is limping along and faces serious challenges that could lead
   to a further escalation in violence. David Shearer, the special
   representative of the U.N. Secretary General in South Sudan (UNMISS)
   told reporters in Juba Tuesday urgent action is needed to put the peace
   process back on track.

   "The cabinet is meeting irregularly, and people tell me that they want
   to see the president and vice presidents meeting and working closely
   together more often. The transitional National Legislative Assembly is
   yet to be reconstituted, so necessary new laws are not being passed and
   progress on the constitution has been delayed. Critically, there has
   been almost no movement on the areas of security sector reform," said
   Shearer.
   The UNMISS boss, who recently returned to Juba from New York, where he
   briefed the U.N. Security Council on the situation in South Sudan, said
   military forces that were supposed to be trained, unified, and deployed
   are losing hope and have started deserting the country's training
   centers.

   "As a result of lack of food and of logistics and other things being
   supplied to these training centers, people started to leave, moving
   back. This is worrying because people are being disillusioned which
   leads to frustration and anger, and possibly which could mean more
   violence," Shearer told reporters.

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