Ms. Hoda Muthana is not a U.S. citizen and will not be admitted into the United States. She does not have any legal basis, no valid U.S. passport, no right to a passport, nor any visa to travel to the United States. We continue to strongly advise all U.S. citizens not to travel to Syria.
The text of the following statement was issued jointly by the Governments of the United States, Norway, and the United Kingdom.
The members of the Troika (Norway, the United Kingdom, and the United States) are alarmed about the escalating conflict around Yei, which represents a flagrant breach of the December 2017 Cessation of Hostilities Agreement and the September 2018 revitalized peace agreement. These military actions, and the trading of blame, must stop.
We are particularly disturbed that fighting by all parties in the Yei area has severe humanitarian consequences for the local population. Thousands of South Sudanese have been displaced and fled across the border into the Democratic Republic of the Congo in recent days to escape fighting and violence against civilians, the UN’s High Commissioner for Refugees has confirmed.
This renewed violence risks undermining the peace agreement and lowers confidence of the Troika and other international partners in the parties’ seriousness and commitment to peace at a critical time of the pre-transitional period of the revitalized peace agreement.
We are concerned that if the situation escalates, the progress made in implementing the peace agreement will be irrevocably set back. In addition, if violence against civilians continues unchecked, it could fuel further cycles of violence and atrocities.
All parties — the Government of South Sudan, the SPLM-IO, and National Salvation Front — must end the violence immediately in line with commitments they made in the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement. Namely, they must ensure the safety of civilians and their freedom of movement, and guarantee safe routes for civilians to leave conflict areas. The parties must allow unrestricted access to Yei and the surrounding area for the UN Mission in South Sudan, the Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring and Verification Mechanism, as well as all humanitarian actors, to enable them to effectively carry out their roles.
Regional leadership will be essential to securing progress on this matter. We urge the region to respect the UN Arms Embargo and to hold those responsible for violations of the peace agreement and Cessation of Hostilities Agreement to account in line with the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) statement of 31 January that called for all parties to “cease hostilities and military preparations immediately.” The Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (R-JMEC) has a central role in holding the parties to these agreements accountable to their commitments. We urge IGAD to appoint a credible and empowered R-JMEC Chair as a matter of urgency.
Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism Elan Carr will travel to Jerusalem February 20-21.
SEAS Carr will meet with Israeli government officials and members of civil society. He will also deliver remarks to the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations in Jerusalem.
Please contact DRL-Press@state.gov for more information.
The below is attributable to Deputy Spokesperson Robert Palladino:
Deputy Secretary of State John J. Sullivan spoke today with Prime Minister Zoran Zaev and congratulated him on implementation of the historic Prespa Agreement. The Deputy Secretary commended the Prime Minister for his strong leadership in securing the Agreement, which will lead to greater stability and prosperity in the Western Balkans. Deputy Secretary Sullivan emphasized that the United States looks forward to welcoming North Macedonia as the 30th member of NATO.
The below is attributable to Deputy Spokesperson Robert Palladino:
Deputy Secretary of State John J. Sullivan spoke today with Greek Foreign Minister George Katrougalos to congratulate him on his appointment as Foreign Minister and to commend the Greek Parliament’s ratification of the Prespa Agreement and the NATO Accession Protocol for the Republic of North Macedonia. Deputy Secretary Sullivan lauded the Greek government’s leadership and courage in pursuing resolution of this issue that will unlock economic benefits for Greece and solidify Greece’s role as a pillar of stability in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Balkans. The Deputy Secretary underscored the United States’ strong support for the Agreement, as it is an historic opportunity to advance security and prosperity throughout the region.