UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations will conclude working visit to South Sudan

UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix’s trip to Ethiopia, Sudan and South Sudan to discuss regional peacekeeping will conclude today.

In South Sudan, Lacroix will focus on the UN’s role in the country’s peace process. While South Sudan’s civil war ended in 2018 via a peace deal, the peace process has stalled in recent years, with occasional violence still common. During his visit, Lacroix will meet with Riek Machar, the leader of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-in-Opposition, and Vice President Rebecca Nyandeng De Mabior. The meetings will cover the topics of conflict, deployment of security forces, the writing of a new constitution by the Transitional National Legislative Assembly and the parliament and the importance of women in the peace process.

Expect LaCroix’s meetings to revitalize the peace process and help South Sudan eliminate the remnants of conflict in the country. The writing of a national constitution, specifically, will need to be accomplished through careful and inclusive consultations with as many communities as possible, to ensure that all parties are satisfied. In the long-term, the UN would need to maintain a continued presence in the country to ensure that there is not a resurgence of conflict.