Civil society group deeply concerned over unimplemented tasks as November deadline looms
South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir Mayardit and Chairman of the SPLM-IO, Dr. Riek Machar meeting at J1 following a face-to-face meeting (File/Supplied/SSNN)
Nov 1st, 2019 (SSNN)-The South Sudan Civil Society Forum (SSCSF) has expressed deep concern about the slow pace of the implementation of critical tasks as the formation of the Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity approaches, with less than two weeks left.
The statement, issued by the group on Friday, called on the country’s top leaders to draw up a plan and agree on a time frame for full implementation of the peace agreement.
“We call on the parties to organize a retreat for their senior leadership to develop a 100-day plan that provides details on how they intend to implement the key tasks that will enable them to form the new government in a safe and responsible manner.”
“The extended Pre-Transitional Period of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS) will end on November 12, 2019 without any unified forces being trained and deployed as required by the peace agreement. With just less than two weeks remaining, the proposed six-week training for 3,000 VIP protection force is no longer meaningfully possible. Efforts to resolve other outstanding issues, particularly the number and boundaries of states, have stalled. Meanwhile, the parties remain deadlocked on the way forward as the November 12, 2019 deadline rapidly approaches.”
The group noted that same similar issues have occurred in the past, thereby diminishing the hopes of the people of South Sudan and prospects for peace and stability.
“These types of political impasses have proved deadly in the past. The political differences among the parties and their failure to accomplish the agreed upon tasks are understandably contributing to increased anxiety and fear among citizens about their safety and the future of the peace agreement. SSCSF is further worried about potential security risks associated with reports that some forces have begun to desert cantonment sites with their guns due to severe food shortage and poor living conditions. This lack of non-military supplies to the cantonment sites raise questions about the viability of the cantonment process and related security arrangements.”
Adding that: “The SSCSF is deeply concerned that instead of impressing upon the parities the need to consistently and fully implement agreed tasks of the peace agreement, some regional and international bodies are encouraging them to selectively implement provisions of the R-ARCSS. Such recommendations undermine the entire peace agreement, especially the sequence of agreed implementation schedule.”
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