South Sudan Bi-Monthly Update

Global Spotlight on Spoilers of Peace

In the lead up to the 22 February deadline for the Government of South Sudan to form a unity government, Crisis Action coordinated the Spoilers of Peace campaign in partnership with Atrocities Watch Africa, Carrot Co and Wanjiku Revolution. The campaign culminated in a live award ceremony where the winners were announced on Facebook and Twitter. Sustained pressure from local and international actors led to compromise on the contested issue of state boundaries, paving the way for the formation of the transitional government. During his swearing-in ceremony as First Vice-President, Riek Machar acknowledged the efforts of civil society to advance peace: “Thanks to Civil Society who spent sleepless nights to bring this peace to light.”

Civil Society Briefing with the UN Security Council

Following the formation of the transitional government in March, Crisis Action assisted Betty Sunday in briefing the UN Security Council’s meeting on South Sudan. Representing the Women’s Monthly Forum on Peace and Political Processes in South Sudan, Sunday briefed the Council on the situation on the ground from a civil society perspective and provided recommendations for how the Council should engage with the new government to best support peace and security in South Sudan.

Strategy Session with South Sudan Civil Society

In March, Crisis Action together with INGO partners in the East African region (Human Rights Watch, Amnesty Intenational, Democracy International, International Crisis Group) convened an in-person meeting with members of the South Sudan Civil Society Forum (SSCSF). This gave all participants a chance to co-strategize on the way forward to best protect South Sudanese civilians. SSCSF representatives also met with a Senior Ministry of Foreign Affairs Official in Kenya to reiterate the importance of sustained regional pressure on the transitional government and to resolve pending tasks to secure full implementation of the peace agreement.