We welcome the second round of the South Sudan peace talks commencing today under the aegis of the regional organisation IGAD (Intergovernmental Authority on Development).

The Federal Government urgently appeals to the desire of the South Sudanese conflict parties for peace and calls upon them to be willing to compromise in the negotiations in order to put an end to the civil war that has been raging since July 2016 and has been marked by unspeakable atrocities.

Germany, together with its international partners, supports the efforts of IGAD, the African Union, South Sudan’s neighbours and the United Nations to bring about a comprehensive peace solution for South Sudan. The goal now has to be to ensure nationwide compliance with the ceasefire that entered into force on 24 December 2017 during the first round of talks, to stabilise it and to use this as a basis on which to reach a consensus on fundamental issues of governance, state structures and security.

The monitoring of the ceasefire by the Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring Mechanism (CTSAMM) will be a crucial factor in this process. Germany wholeheartedly supports the CTSAMM’s work and condemns all attempts to hamper its efforts by means of verbal threats or the abuse of bureaucratic regulations. Those attempting to undermine the peace process must be identified and should reckon with consequences.

Germany is supporting the peacebuilding efforts in South Sudan through a mediation project financed by Federal Foreign Office stabilisation funds. In addition, it is providing financial contributions to the institutions involved in the peace agreement, particularly the ceasefire commission. In 2017, the Federal Foreign Office made available 90 million euros for humanitarian assistance for the South Sudan crisis.