Nicholas Haysom, Head of UN Mission in South Sudan. Credit | UN

United Nations Mission in South Sudan chief said the conflict in Sudan and efforts to resolve it have belittled the domestic and international leverage to pressure the South Sudan peace parties to complete pending tasks.

Nicholas Haysom, the Special Representative to the UN Secretary-General made the remarks in his address to the UN Security Council on Tuesday.

“On the political side, the conflict in Sudan reduces the much-needed bandwidth (both domestic, international) to focus attention on South Sudan during this critical phase of its transition,” Haysom said.

He added that while the efforts of President Salva Kiir and IGAD to end the conflict in Sudan remains commendable, the timeline of the peace process in South Sudan should not be allowed to become the opportunity cost of these efforts.

In a five-page address to UNSC, Haysom underscored that relaxing efforts to implement critical tasks in the 2018 peace deal are exacerbating the existing triggers and drivers of conflict.

It said this can complicate “an already tenuous security situation across the country.”