Advocacy group urges IGAD to review 100 days before formation of unity government

February 2, 2020 Newsbeat

Ter Manyang Gatwech, CPA’s National Coordinator (Photo: Profile Picture)

February 4, 2020 (SSNN)—A Juba-based human rights organization, the Center for Peace and Advocacy (CPA) has called on the Intergovernmental Authority on Development to evaluate the progress made in the implementation in the course of the extended100-day period before the formation of a national unity government this month.

“Now that the 50th day of the 100 days’ extension has elapsed without any progress made so far, particularly the determination of the number of states and their internal boundaries and security arrangements.

“We call upon IGAD (guarantors) and the parties to undertake a mid-term review of the 100 days’ extension to assess the status of the implementation of the pending critical pre-transitional tasks and to determine the way forward as stipulated in the 7th November 2019 Entebbe Tripartite Summit’s communique,” the group said in its statement.

The call comes after IGAD held a consultative meeting between the Parties in order to try to solve the issue of the number of states and their internal borders, a critical pending task that has derailed the formation of a unity government since last year.

“All citizens don’t know the actual statistics of all forces that could make up the national army who will protect the nation,” said CPA’s National Coordinator, Ter Manyang Gatwech, noting that this raises serious concerns about delays in verifying the number of troops, namely the SSPDF, SPLA IO and SSOA in the country.

The group urged CTSAMVM to make statistics of the army so that the citizens will be able to know the number of forces in the country.

“IGAD should not just sit and watch us as citizens continue to suffer as a result of the lack of political will among the leaders in the country.”

“The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) must bear responsibility for the failure of South Sudan’s leaders due to its vast interests in South Sudan rather than focusing on finding an amicable solution to the ongoing impasse between the parties.”

The CPA states that those who have been mishandling the peace process in the country can be segmented into three groups, namely South Sudan’s leaders, IGAD leaders and the international community.

“In South Sudan, there are three classes (a) South Sudan leaders, (b) IGAD and (C) the international community. All these individual groups have been responsible for exacerbating the ongoing crisis in the country. Therefore, it is time for our leaders to open their eyes and look at things from different angles.”

“No one will come from the outside world and solve our problem in the country. South Sudan is a blessed country with vast resources that every citizen can have an equal share.”

The advocacy group added that the East African bloc, IGAD should be leading the peace process in South Sudan rather than derailing it.

“Instead of promoting their agenda, IGAD should be a key to peace in the country, develop a network of local peace-building partners operating around South Sudan, resolve the conflict and create a safer environment in South Sudan.”