S/PV.9913 Security Council

In accordance with rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite the representative of South Sudan to participate in this meeting. The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. Members of the Council have before them document S/2025/270, which contains the text of a draft resolution submitted by the United States of America. The Council is ready to proceed to the vote on the draft resolution before it. I shall first give the floor to those members of the Council who wish to make statements before the voting.

First, let me convey my appreciation to all the troop- and police-contributing countries for their service and sacrifice in supporting peace in South Sudan. The leadership and peacekeepers of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) play an important role in South Sudan as the security situation in the country continues to deteriorate. As we renew this mandate, South Sudan is on the brink of a broader civil war. With mounting tensions and escalating violence, the need for peace is paramount. In that light, we will vote in favour of the draft resolution (S/2025/270) to extend the mandate of UNMISS. The international community must use its influence to bring South Sudan back from the brink, including through UNMISS. The impact of the conflict on the people of South Sudan is alarming. We are troubled by reports of ground attacks, aerial bombardments, the indiscriminate use of barrel bombs and the unconscionable attack on 3 May on a Médecins Sans Frontières hospital. Those attacks have killed many civilians and displaced tens of thousands. They also indicate a possible return to ethnic conflict. With the continued detention of First Vice-President Machar and senior officials of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition, military operations against Nuer-majority areas and continued unilateral actions taken by President Kiir Mayardit, the Government’s legitimacy, which is based on the 2018 peace agreement, is at risk. The people of South Sudan deserve peace, the freedom to participate in civic and political processes and a Government that is responsive to their needs. The transitional Government, however, has failed to take the steps required to peacefully conclude the transitional period, and it has shown no political will to implement the peace agreement, making the role of UNMISS increasingly difficult. The transitional Government continues to impose movement restrictions on UNMISS, thereby significantly undermining its ability to fulfil its protection of civilians mandate, and has continued with its unacceptable request that UNMISS vacate its Tomping headquarters. We insist that UNMISS be allowed to carry out its mandate without hindrance, as is reflected in the mandate. The United States is committed to the United Nations returning to its foundational purpose of maintaining international peace and security. The potential of the system is commendable, but it has fallen quite far from its original mission. Peacekeeping mandates, including this one, should not pursue ideological goals that are difficult to define and even more challenging to implement on the ground, but rather focus on core functions under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations. In short, as To attain peace and prevent a resumed civil war, the transitional Government must act with all urgency to end the violence, de-escalate political tensions, release First Vice-President Machar from house arrest and open a dialogue between the parties to the conflict. Finally, given the transitional Government’s inaction to date, the United States reiterates its position that allocating further financial resources for election preparations, given yet another election delay, is irresponsible. We look forward to a time when South Sudan’s leaders have created the conditions for free and fair elections. Then, and only then, should the Council consider additional support. President Trump has been crystal clear that the United States will champion the noble cause of peace. The success of the Council will be determined by the conflicts that we end. Now is the time to vanquish the scourge of war from South Sudan. We look forward to working with fellow Council members to ensure that UNMISS is supported by the transitional Government in the coming year, and we implore fellow Council members to press South Sudan’s leaders for an urgent, peaceful solution to the ongoing conflict.

I shall put the draft resolution to the vote now.

The draft resolution received 12 votes in favour, none against and 3 abstentions. The draft resolution has been adopted as resolution 2779 (2025). I shall now give the floor to those members of the Council who wish to make statements after the voting.

I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the three African members of the Security Council, namely, Algeria, Somalia and my own country, Sierra Leone, plus Guyana (A3+). The A3+ thanks the United States for its constructive and extensive consultations during the negotiations on resolution 2779 (2025) on the mandate renewal for the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). The UNMISS mandate is critical to safeguarding the peace process and creating conditions conducive to the implementation of the 2018 Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan. It has facilitated the protection of civilians, the provision of humanitarian aid and the maintenance of public safety — all factors that are paramount to South Sudan’s stability. In recent weeks, UNMISS has worked tirelessly in support of mediation efforts crucial to restoring peace in South Sudan. In that context, the A3+ engaged constructively in the deliberations on the mandate renewal and negotiated in good faith throughout the process. However, we wish to highlight that two essential concerns remain unaddressed in the final text, In conclusion, we reaffirm our support for the sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity of South Sudan, while emphasizing the importance of full cooperation with United Nations missions and international and regional partners.

Pakistan abstained in the voting on resolution 2779 (2025). We have a long association with United Nations peacekeeping. Pakistan has been one of the largest troop contributors to United Nations peacekeeping missions for the past six decades. We are a troop-contributing country to the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) as well. Being a supporter of United Nations peacekeeping, we have always advocated that peacekeeping missions should enjoy the complete and unified support of the Security Council. However, that task is complicated when the mandate resolutions are unnecessarily politicized. It has been our consistent position that the mandates of peacekeeping missions should be tailored to the needs on the ground, not the political priorities of the Council members. Such political considerations hinder the requisite united backing that the missions need for the effective performance of their mandates. Unfortunately, the resolution contains issues that have no direct link with UNMISS. Therefore, regrettably, it prevented consensus in the Council. Some of the legitimate concerns raised by the Member States during the negotiations on the resolution were not taken into account. According to our understanding, based on the briefing of 16 April by Special Representative of the Secretary-General Haysom on Tomping base (see S/PV.9898), the Government of South Sudan and UNMISS had reached some understandings and are coordinating a feasible and mutually agreeable relocation plan. The text of the resolution should have taken into account that understanding. As we underscored in the previous briefing on the situation in South Sudan, the issue of Tomping base must be resolved amicably. We reiterate our complete support for UNMISS and Special Representative Nicholas Haysom. UNMISS remains a force of stability in South Sudan, and we greatly appreciate the dedication of UNMISS personnel and peacekeepers, who are carrying out their mandates in difficult conditions.

The United Kingdom was pleased to vote today to extend the mandate of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). UNMISS plays a vital role in supporting peace and security in the country. The recent instability in the country is a reminder of the importance of the United Nations Mission, and the United Kingdom commends the work of UNMISS to de-escalate tensions and protect civilians. It is important that UNMISS be able to deliver its mandate in full — including through having the freedom of movement to operate without political interference — and to monitor human rights violations and support the provision of humanitarian assistance. Finally, I want to thank our United States colleagues for their intensive work across the Security Council and beyond, which was essential to delivering today’s mandate renewal. Regrettably, the resolution that was just voted on contains many elements that exert excessive pressure on South Sudan, which have nothing to do with the mandate renewal and are not in line with the realities on the ground. China has reservations on several parts of the text and had to abstain in the voting. Let me make the following points. First, as the youngest Member of the United Nations, South Sudan has been making unremitting efforts in recent years to advance the peace process and improve State governance. The international community should take into full consideration the current development stage of South Sudan and the challenges it faces, and should extend the necessary patience and encouragement. However, the resolution uses harsh language in a number of places, for example, by only emphasizing the lack of progress in the country’s political transition and partially blaming the South Sudanese Government for insufficient funding for its transitional institutions and the necessary unified forces, while failing to mention the real difficulties affecting the country’s economic situation, such as regional turmoil and the disruption of oil exports. That is clearly neither objective nor balanced. Secondly, issues such as elections, finance, and resource management are all internal affairs of South Sudan and should be determined by the Government and the people of South Sudan themselves. The international community should fully respect the sovereignty and ownership of South Sudan and refrain from imposing external solutions that could interfere in the internal affairs of South Sudan. Nevertheless, the resolution sets unrealistic requirements and standards on the internal affairs of South Sudan and even intentionally weakens the Government of South Sudan on issues such as electoral preparations, humanitarian assistance and the protection of civilians. That is clearly not constructive. Thirdly, the South Sudanese Government has always maintained good cooperation with UNMISS and facilitated the Mission’s mandate implementation. The international community should encourage the two parties to properly address their differences in the spirit of dialogue and consultation. Nevertheless, the resolution insists on including issues such as the relocation of Tomping base, despite the concerns of South Sudan and other African countries, and unilaterally exerts pressure on the Government of South Sudan when the two parties are engaged in friendly consultations. Such a move will only send the wrong signal and further increase tensions between the two parties. That is definitely not conducive to solving problems. China has emphasized on many occasions that serving as penholder is a responsibility, not a privilege. This time the penholder has repeatedly delayed the consultation process, failing to allow sufficient time for all parties to study and discuss the matter. A week ago, Council members voted to adopt resolution 2778 (2025), on a short technical rollover, so as to further build consensus. However, it is deeply disappointing that the penholder pushed for a vote when the parties remain divided. We urge the penholder to take an objective and fair position, to effectively

The Russian Federation abstained in the voting on the United States-prepared resolution 2779 (2025), on extending the mandate of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). Let me underscore at the outset that Russia fully supports the activities conducted by UNMISS and its Head, Mr. Nicholas Haysom. What is particularly needed now is the peacekeeping part of its mandate — the tasks related to maintaining stability and security in South Sudan and resolving humanitarian issues. As we see, the Mission is coping with those issues successfully. As for UNMISS assistance in preparing the electoral process, we believe that the South Sudanese themselves should play the main role in this area, and the United Nations should support the process, provide its expert recommendations and help with logistics. Unfortunately, for the second year in a row, the American penholders of the South Sudanese file have opted to exert pressure on the Government of South Sudan in the text of the resolution. At the same time, they are embarrassed to name it correctly, as was done in all Council products up until 2024. Instead, they proposed difficult-to- pronounce abbreviations as a compromise only to emphasize the temporary status of the authorities. We consider the linking of such a change with the fact that Juba did not hold elections in December 2024 and extended the transition period for another two years to be inappropriate and illogical. The transition period was extended in a similar way in 2022. This may seem a technicality, but for us it shows a disparaging attitude towards the current Government of South Sudan. After gestures such as that one, it should be no surprise that Juba could be sceptical about United Nations assistance. Instead of emphasizing the progress made by South Sudan in the political process and the adoption of a number of important legislative acts, the emphasis in the text is on the inadequacy of the efforts undertaken, accompanied by criticism and inappropriate alarmism. We do not accept the text’s appeals to the Government to create mechanisms that would guarantee the exemption of UNMISS, the humanitarian entities operating in the country and, for some reason, diplomatic missions from supposedly illegal taxes and fees. The status-of-forces agreement only talks about peacekeepers. We consider it inappropriate for individual members of the Council to use a Council resolution to resolve problems of bilateral interaction with Juba. We do not consider it necessary to artificially blow up the problems of cooperation between South Sudan and UNMISS, especially since they are being resolved through constructive dialogue. Such an attempt to play along with the United Nations may backfire on the Mission itself, which, unfortunately, is sometimes the target of unfounded attacks from the host country. Finally, the excessive emphasis in the resolution on the topic of sexual violence is egregious. It is significant that this phrase appears in the document as many as 30 times. No less is said about climate challenges. Without diminishing the importance of those topics, we believe that they are the consequence of more significant outstanding political and economic issues. We would like to draw the Council’s attention to the fact that, at the initiative of the United States, for the second year in a row, the Council’s adoption of a full- fledged resolution on UNMISS has been preceded by a technical rollover of its mandate. However, the time in between is not being used to conscientiously consider I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all those who are celebrating the eightieth anniversary of the great victory today. It was on this day — 8 May European time and 9 May Moscow time — in 1945, in a suburb of Berlin, that the instrument of unconditional surrender of the German armed forces was signed, marking the total defeat of Nazism. The Soviet Union and its Red Army played a decisive role to that end. Today we pay tribute and convey great respect and gratitude to all those who laid down their lives on the altar of victory on the battlefield and those who worked selflessly at home. Without that, it would have been impossible to establish the United Nations. We are confident that the legacy of the great victory will continue to contribute to strengthening and developing fruitful relations between countries on the basis of the principles of the equality and self-determination of peoples.

I now give the floor to the representative of South Sudan.

Allow me to begin by warmly congratulating you, Mr. President, on your presidency for the month of May. You have our full support and cooperation. The Republic of South Sudan expresses its deep appreciation for the continuous engagement of the Council in support of peace, security and development in our country. We value our long-standing partnership with the United Nations and remain committed to working closely with all stakeholders in the pursuit of a stable and prosperous South Sudan. While we welcome the renewal of the mandate of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), we respectfully note our concern that some of the inputs shared by our Government during the drafting process were not fully reflected in the final resolution (resolution 2779 (2025)). We trust that future consultations will allow for a more inclusive and balanced consideration of the host country’s perspectives. We have also noted certain provisions in the resolution that appear to extend beyond the core objectives of UNMISS. It goes without saying that the primary mandate of UNMISS remains the protection of civilians and support for the peace process. However, we are concerned by the increasing emphasis on matters such as the protection of diplomatic missions, which, under international law and the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, remain the sovereign responsibility of the host country. Those roles are further clarified in our Host Country Agreement and bilateral arrangements. We further, respectfully, reiterate our position regarding national infrastructure and sovereignty. Any support extended by the Mission must be fully aligned with South Sudan’s sovereign rights and national development priorities. Continued dialogue will help ensure mutual understanding and clarity on those roles and responsibilities. On the matter of taxation, we reaffirm that past concerns were isolated, have been addressed in good faith and do not reflect the official policy of the Government. We remain committed to maintaining a cooperative and transparent environment. Regarding the status-of-forces agreement, we note that it was signed between the United Nations and the Government of the Republic of South Sudan in 2011. That agreement remains valid and binding, regardless of transitional phases or terminological changes. We trust that future references will accurately reflect its legal standing and intent. Finally, we extend our sincere appreciation to all Council members for their ongoing support. We are particularly grateful to the three African members of the Security Council plus, the A3+ — namely, Algeria, Sierra Leone, Somalia and Guyana — for their steadfast advocacy of African perspectives. We equally thank China, the Russian Federation and Pakistan for their principled positions and constructive outreach throughout the negotiation process. South Sudan remains committed to working with all partners in advancing peace, security and development for the benefit of all our people.