National Minister of Peace Building
Hon. Stephen Par Kuol’s Remark’s on UN International Peacekeepers Day
May 27, 2022,
UN House, Juba
“Those who fight for peace must be as organized as those who fight wars” Dr. Martin Luther King
Your Excellency Professor Nicholas Haysom, Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General, heads of all UN Agencies present, members of the Diplomatic Corps well represented here by the heads of diplomatic missions accredited to South Sudan, heads of international GO’s and NGO’s, contingent commanders of the UN Peacekeeping Force who organized this colourful parade in commemoration of this occasion, ladies and gentlemen, good morning to you all.
It is a profound honour to represent my government and the citizenry of this great country on this historically significant occasion in the cause of the struggle for a safe and dignified life for the downtrodden victims of political violence across the globe. On behalf of the Government and the People of South Sudan, let me seize this opportunity to first and foremost pay a solemn tribute to all who paid the ultimate price in the service of our common humanity under the banner of the blue helmet since 1948. By the same token, I must also recognize the selfless sacrifices and services of those who continue to serve our people here in Juba and beyond. At this juncture I must register our gratitude for what the United Nations Mission in the Sudan (UNMIS) has been doing for our people in this country since December 2013. We cannot thank UNMIS enough for its unwavering commitment in hosting the vulnerable communities who are still languishing in those Protection of Civilian Sites (POCS) where they live in limbo as refugees within the capitals of their own states capitals. Their plight demands more concerted efforts to stabilize security through the implementation of Chapter II of R-ARCSS for them to resettle back in their homes.
Professor Haysom, as we are all aware, this significant occasion is being commemorated worldwide with the backdrop of several devastating conflicts throughout the world. From Eurasia to the Middle East and Africa, bloodletting is the order of the day. International humanitarian law is shunned with impunity and the trend is extremely dreadful. In this violence ravaged continent of ours, from Somalia to Mali, DRC and Central African Republic, civil wars continue to rage, and atrocities are committed against innocent civilians with a straight face.
Geopolitically our region in the Horn of Africa is most volatile. From Northern Ethiopia to Sudan and Somalia, political violence has remained the only way to settle political scores. We feel for our sisterly nations of the Sudan and Ethiopia that stood with us to bring peace to our country. Hence our relentless call for concerted diplomatic efforts to find amicable solutions for peaceful settlement of those conflicts. This will not only save human lives but also reduce the burden of refugees on the UNO and the host countries. Growing up in foreign lands as a refugee myself, I know very well that conflict resolution must be cheaper than hosting refugees for years.
Professor Haysom, the global village that the world has become is precariously on the edge of a precipice. As painfully demonstrated by the impacts of the ongoing war of mass destruction in Ukraine, the global village is shrinking. That is why a war from Eurasia could cause a shortage of bread in the Gulf, Middle East, North Africa and beyond. Evidently, conflicts and wars are no longer local as there is no single conflict without a global impact. Thus, the international community under the leadership of UNO must renew its covenant with humanity by preventing wars and resolving conflicts through dialogue. That was what necessitated the dissolution of the League of Nations and establishment of the UNO on April 20 1948 to create a more robust international governmental organization to implement that covenant. Hence, the UNO cannot afford to fail the test of preventive and inclusive diplomacy like the defunct League of Nations. Time has proven that the diplomacy of sanction and pariah is futile and fatal. It does not work anywhere to save lives. Only inclusive diplomatic engagement can save humanity.
Professor Haysom, the cardinal significance of this occasion is well captured in this theme – People Peace and Progress: The Power of Partnerships. True, there is no progress without peace. Ultimately, the people must own peace for themselves, to internalize it and use it to mend the rifts wars inflicted on the social fabric of their societies. This requires partnership with the people themselves. That is precisely what we are a doing as a ministry in collaboration with your good offices and all our peace-building partners in South Sudan. We did that last year by way of leadership retreats for state governments and community dialogue to resolve the ongoing intra-communal conflicts throughout South Sudan. Being a coalition government of peace, the Revitalized Government of National Unity is committed to the full implementation of ARCSS and peace building. Our peace building projects for the year 2022 are: Peace Dissemination Campaign for our people to understand the basic stipulations of the ARCSS for them to own it, dialogue among the political parties for political reconciliation and preparation for the permanent constitution making process, establishment of the Hybrid Court for South Sudan (HSS) and establishment of the Truth and Reconciliation and Healing Commissions (TRHC) as stipulated in Chapter V and Chapter VI respectively. For all the above, we will be counting on the UNMIS, other UN Agencies and all our peace-building partners to implement those milestone projects. This peace-making front demands stronger partnership as well stipulated in the theme of this occasion. In the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, “Those who fight for peace must be as organized as those who wage wars.” Once again, I stand here on behalf of the Government and the People of South Sudan to renew our call for enhanced coordination and collaboration to implement the R-ARCSS. Let us do that more collaboratively this time around to stabilize security, end the war, build peace and heal the wounds of the seven years of devastating civil war in our country.
Thank you, very much.