New york: Presiding over a UN Security Council session on South Sudan, the Kingdom of Bahrain highly commended the leadership and expertise of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) for its role in advancing the peace process, facilitating dialogue, and reconciling viewpoints.
According to Bahrain News Agency, the meeting featured briefings from Anita Kiki Gbeho, Deputy Special Representative and Head of UNMISS, and Tom Fletcher, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs. The session also included high-level participation from Sara Beysolow Nyanti, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Liberia.
Delivering Bahrain's statement, Ambassador Nancy Abdullah Jamal expressed grave concern over escalating hostilities and inflammatory rhetoric. She highlighted the worsening humanitarian crisis, noting that 10 million people are expected to need aid by 2026, while funding has reached only 19.3% of its target according to recent UN estimates.
The Ambassador linked South Sudan's stability to regional security, noting that threats in the Strait of Hormuz, Bab al Mandab, and the Red Sea have disrupted fuel and fertiliser supplies, adversely affecting African agricultural markets.
With South Sudan entering the final year of its transitional phase ahead of December 2026 elections, Bahrain emphasised the urgent need to finalise legal and financial frameworks for a fair vote. The Kingdom urged all parties to fulfil the 2018 Peace Agreement benchmarks with renewed political will.
Bahrain concluded by commending the efforts of the African Union, IGAD, and the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission, while welcoming the Kenya led "Tumaini" initiative to restore lasting peace and reconciliation.