US Envoy to UN Calls South Sudan Gov’t «Unfit Partner»

Local Editor

The South Sudan government has reacted angrily to remarks made by US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, in which she called the government an "unfit partner" to the UN.

A South Sudanese Foreign Ministry official said Friday that Haley's remarks threaten to undermine relations between the US and South Sudan.

Haley did not mince words about President Salva Kiir's government as she addressed the UN Security Council on Wednesday.

"The government of South Sudan is increasingly proving itself to be an unfit partner for this council and any country seeking peace and security for the people of South Sudan. The United States will never give up on its efforts but if there is to be true peace in South Sudan, its leaders must step up and make a true commitment to end this conflict once and for all," said Haley.

Haley also accused President Kiir of promoting three generals who she said led the slaughter of innocent South Sudanese women, children, and elderly people - the same generals who were sanctioned by the Security Council in 2015.

Haley said the Security Council must do more, such as imposing an arms embargo on South Sudan to slow the flow of arms and ammunitions entering into the country.
Baak Valentino Wol, Undersecretary of South Sudan's Foreign Affairs Ministry, criticized Haley's remarks.

"Ambassador Nikki made many undue defamatory and inflammatory remarks on the situation in South Sudan including her uncalled for arms embargo. Ambassador Nikki's remarks do not serve well the good relations which the people and the government of South Sudan always wish to exist between the two people and governments," Wol told reporters at a news conference in Juba on Friday.

Wol said his ministry summoned the US Charge d'Affairs Michael Murrow to clarify Haley's remarks.

"I cannot get up in the morning and insult the president of another country or say something bad about the government of another country and hope that such statements will foster peace and good relations between nations; it doesn't. That is why we called the representative of the US administration to tell him that we are not happy," Wol added.

South Sudan's civil war, now in its fifth year, has displaced some four million people and created a humanitarian crisis in the world's youngest country.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team