UNITED NATIONS, March 3 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Wednesday called for efforts to advance the political process in South Sudan.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the founding of South Sudan. Over the past 10 years, the South Sudanese have overcome numerous challenges and made new progress in nation-building. At present, the situation in South Sudan presents both opportunities and challenges, said Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations.
There is a need to maintain the positive momentum of the political process, he told the Security Council.
For some time now, the cease-fire in South Sudan has been holding on the whole. And the implementation of the Revitalized Agreement has made positive progress on key issues, such as government formation and appointment of governors. China welcomes this development, he said.
China encourages all parties in South Sudan to consolidate existing gains; move forward the key tasks of security arrangements, the reconstitution of parliament, and preparations for general elections; stay in the course of implementing the peace agreement and resolve potential differences by peaceful means, said Zhang.
"We call on the armed factions that have not yet joined the agreement to do so as soon as possible. The implementation of the agreement faces practical difficulties, such as lack of funding. We hope the international community will provide responsive assistance," he said.
The international community should continue to support the peace efforts of the African Union (AU) and sub-regional organizations such as the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, and countries such as Sudan, he said.
China calls on the international community to respond to the AU's initiative and lift sanctions against South Sudan as soon as possible, he said. Enditem
