JUBA, July 8 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) on Friday called on South Sudanese leaders to redouble efforts to agree on a roadmap to pave the way toward free, fair and credible elections.
Nicholas Haysom, the special representative of the Secretary-General for South Sudan, said the east African nation's road to stability has not been easy and the upcoming months will be critical as the transitional period approaches its end in February 2023.
"Now is the time for national leaders to redouble their efforts to agree on a roadmap - with clear benchmarks, timelines, and priorities - to pave the way toward free, fair and credible elections," Haysom said in a statement issued in Juba, the capital of South Sudan, on the eve of the independence day which falls on July 9.
South Sudan won independence from Sudan in 2011 after more than two decades of civil war but again plunged into conflict in December 2013 after President Kiir sacked his former Vice President Riek Machar, leaving the world's youngest nation in economic turmoil as conflict disrupted the production of oil, the main foreign currency earner.
The UN envoy reiterated its commitment to peace in South Sudan and vowed to continue promoting a safe and secure environment for civilians, facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid, and support the return of displaced families and refugees.
"Together, let us make peace gains irreversible and build the prosperous future to which all South Sudanese women, men and children aspire," said Haysom who is also the head of UNMISS. ■