Following is the text of a joint statement by Ambassador Susan D. Page (United States), Ambassador Hanne-Marie Kaarstad (Norway), Chargé d’Affaires a.i. Jon Dean (United Kingdom), Ambassador Sven Kühn von Burgsdorff (European Union), Head of Office Nicholas Coghlan (Canada), Ambassador Stephan Schönemann (Denmark), Chargé d’Affaires a.i. Paul Tholen (The Netherlands), and Head of Cooperation Office Rainer Baudendistel (Switzerland):

We, the above signatories, are increasingly concerned about continued violence in Jonglei State. We express our condolences to the families of all casualties.

We are deeply disturbed by mounting reports of abuse of civilians, including killings, beatings, and looting and destruction of homes and humanitarian facilities. We urge all parties – including the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) and other state and non-state armed actors – to ensure that all civilians, regardless of ethnic group, are protected during armed conflict. We call on the government to hold accountable those individuals who have committed abuses in Jonglei – including members of the security forces – through transparent judicial processes.

We urge all parties to enable humanitarian space in Jonglei, including ensuring safe and unfettered access for humanitarian workers and United Nations representatives to provide assistance and protection to all affected populations, and to enable all wounded to access medical care.

We stress that the worsening situation in Jonglei State requires a political and not a military solution, and we underscore the need for dialogue between all parties to begin at once. We commend the government of the Republic of South Sudan for its recent offer of amnesty to South Sudanese armed groups, and we urge the groups’ leaders to accept the pardon immediately.

We also remind the government that ending the conflict in Jonglei State requires meeting basic needs and addressing the grievances of communities, distinct from meeting demands of rebel leaders. We encourage the government to urgently address these issues.

We applaud state and national government officials, military officers, and religious and community leaders for their outreach to the youth of Jonglei in urging restraint and stemming inter-communal conflict in recent weeks.

We invite all stakeholders to return to the agreed resolutions of the All Jonglei Peace Conference, and we offer our support for the immediate implementation of the measures therein. We are prepared to support humanitarian assistance to all affected populations across Jonglei State, and to increase development alongside improvements in security. Reflecting on the bold and inclusive resolutions reached at the Conference, we call on all parties to support the core commitment by the communities of Jonglei to “peace, reconciliation and tolerance.”

File photo: SPLA soldier