Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, 9 November 2022 - South Sudan, Central African Republic

UN Press Release | Excerpt

**South Sudan

We also have an update now from South Sudan, where the Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, and the Chef de Cabinet of the Secretary-General, Courtney Rattray, concluded their four-day visit with a press conference today in Juba. Mr. Lacroix noted the positive steps made in the peace process but he stressed that more needs to be done to fully implement the Revitalized Peace Agreement and to ensure that free, fair and credible elections can be held at the end of the transitional period. He expressed concern over the persistent intercommunal violence in many areas of the country, in addition to an already dire humanitarian situation which has been exacerbated by devastating floods. Mr. Lacroix emphasized the importance of keeping the situation in South Sudan high on the international agenda on the humanitarian front as well as a commitment to supporting the implementation of the peace agreement that will lead to a stable and durable political environment, peace, and development. On the next leg of his trip, Mr. Lacroix will travel to Sudan, to Khartoum, for meetings with government officials about the situation in Abyei. He will also discuss with local authorities and local communities the ongoing efforts to protect civilians, to promote peace and to facilitate humanitarian assistance.

**Central African Republic

From the Central African Republic now, our peacekeeping colleagues tell us they are continuing to support the national authorities in preventing and reducing violence at the community level. The United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) says that preparations for the next phase of the programme to reduce violence at the community level are under way. The Mission has registered more than half of the 4,300 people — including 1,200 women — who will take part in it. This programme offers people, including young people, an alternative to violence through vocational training, income-generating activities, and voluntary surrender of weapons. Separately, the Mission is also helping to organize the Bangui Court of Appeal’s second criminal session of the year. Overall, the security situation in the country has remained relatively calm in the past few days, though tense in certain parts of the country. UN peacekeepers are patrolling to protect the population and to secure fragile areas, with nearly 1,700 patrols carried out over the past week, including some jointly done with the Central African armed forces.