“This is my decision and I have to say it is very important to note one thing, and that if the hostility campaign against United Nations and against me personally had continued, what we saw in the past few months, then I would have clearly maintained and remained in my job in South Sudan”, said the Special Representative of the United Nations’ Secretary-General in South Sudan, Hilde Johnson.

“because there is one thing I am not accepting it is to be pressured in a way that implies that people think they can push me out of the country”, Johnson added.

She said she is leaving the country because her mandate has come to an end and not for no other reasons.

In an exclusive interview with Eye Radio, Madam Hilde Johnson confirmed she was leaving on the 9th of July this year.

“if the violence had continued in the way it escalated in December, January, February and March, we would not have been in a situation where any Special Representative of the Secretary-General could be wise to leave. This has been a situation where you actually leaving a house on fire. I could never do that”, the Special Representative said.

Johnson said she is leaving because the level of violence in the country has subsided and also relations between the UN Mission and the government have improved:

“Is it the right time [for me to leave], in my view if the violence had escalated further and continued and if we didn’t have the 9th of May agreement  between Salva Kiir Mayardit His Excellency the President of the Republic of South Sudan and Dr. Riek Machar, and seen a de-escalation, it would have been very difficult. Secondly, the same issue applies if the relations with the government and the UN had continued to be difficult; it would have also been a very bad time”, said Hilde Johnson.

Madam Johnson said she consulted with the Secretary General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon and her decision to leave South Sudan has been approved.

Hilde Johnson said she will leave South Sudan on the 8th of July this year.