UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 16 (Xinhua) -- UN peacekeeping chief cautioned Friday that the new peace deal in South Sudan remains fragile.
"There can be no viable or sustainable peace unless the parties adhere to a permanent cease-fire, silence the guns, disengage forces, and include women as key players," said Jean-Pierre Lacroix, UN under-secretary-general for peacekeeping operations.
He was briefing the Security Council on a joint African Union/United Nations high-level visit to South Sudan on Oct. 7-9, shortly after the signing of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan.
The signing of the agreement is only the first step in a process that still has many challenges ahead, he said. "The pre-transitional period is critical and will require the South Sudanese leaders to assume their responsibilities and pave the way for the full implementation of the agreement."
