COMMUNIQUÉ OF THE IGAD COUNCIL OF MINISTERS ON THE CONSULTATION MEETING OF THE PARTIES TO THE R-ACRSS

August 22, 2019 Newsbeat

21st August 2019 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia ,

IGAD Secretariate consultating on South Sudan Peace implementation in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia(Photo credit: SSNN)

August 22, 2019(SSNN) — The IGAD Council of Ministers convened a consultation meeting of the Parties to the R-ARCSS on the 21st August 2019 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, under the chairmanship of H.E. Gedu Andargachew, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and Chairperson of the IGAD Council of Ministers.

The session was attended by H.E. Ahmed Isse Awad, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Somalia; H.E. Sam Kutesa, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uganda; H.E. Mohamed Ali Hassan, Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Djibouti; H.E. Hirut Zemene, State Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia; H.E. Ababu Namwamba, The Chief Administrative Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kenya; H.E. Deng Dau Deng Malek, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Republic of South Sudan; H.E. Omar Dahab, Under Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of the Sudan, H.E. Mahboub Maalim, IGAD Executive Secretary; H.E. Amb. Smail Chergui, African Union Commission Commissioner for Peace and Security, H.E. Dr. Ismail Wais, IGAD Special Envoy for South Sudan; H.E. Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka, Kenya’s Special Envoy to South Sudan; H.E. Jamal El-Sheikh, Sudan’s Special Envoy to South Sudan, H.E. Lt. Gen Augostino Njoroge, Interim Chairperson of the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (R-JMEC); Maj. Gen. Desta Abiche Ageno, Chairperson of CTSAMVM, H.E. David Shearer, the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General to South Sudan and Head of UNMISS, and representatives of the Parties to the R- ARCSS namely Transitional Government of National Unity, Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army in Opposition, South Sudanese Opposition Alliance, Other Political Parties and SPLM-Former Detainees as well as South Sudanese stakeholders.

Representatives of AUC, the UN, the European Union, the IGAD Partners Forum (IPF), the Troika (Norway, UK and USA), RJMEC and China made statements during the opening session.

After listening to the presentation by the IGAD Executive Secretary on the IBC report, the statement of the IGAD Special Envoy for South Sudan, reports of the Secretary of the NPTC, Interim Chairperson of R-JMEC; and Chairperson of CTSAMVM;

The Council, in consultation with the Parties to the R-ARCSS and stakeholders:

1. Appreciates that the ceasefire is holding and as a result South Sudan has experienced relative peace, and in this regard calls for the cantonment process to be expedited to ensure the continued holding of the ceasefire in South Sudan;

2. Commends the Parties to the R-ARCSS for the important work they are doing in the various institutions and mechanisms of the Agreement;

3. Welcomes the conducive environment the Government has created for the implementation of the R-ARCSS;

4. Recognizes and commends representatives of the opposition parties for moving back and working from Juba;

5. Takes note of the progress made in the implementation of the R-ARCSS;

6. Appreciates the cordial and constructive manner with which the Parties conducted the consultation meeting;

7. Commits to engage their respective Heads of State and Government to directly engage H.E. President Salva Kiir to disburse the balance of the pledged USD 100 million;

8. Urges the Government of the Republic of South Sudan to be transparent and put in place accountability mechanisms in the use of funds for the implementation of the Peace Agreement;

9. Recommends to the IGAD Heads of State and Government to convene face-to-face meeting of the top leadership of the Parties to discuss and resolve outstanding issues;

10. Further recommends to the Heads of State and Government to hold an Ordinary Summit of IGAD in mid-September 2019 to deliberate on and decide, among others, the status of Dr. Riek Machar;

11. Resolves that at least 50% of the 83,000 necessary unified forces should be cantoned and barracked, trained and deployed before the end of September 2019;

12. Welcomes the adoption of the Terms of Reference of the DDR Commission by the Parties and stakeholders, and the subsequent nomination of candidates by all except the TGoNU and in this regard decides that the reconstitution of the DDR Commission should be completed by the end of August 2019;

13. Urges the Parties to continue dialoguing and consulting on the issue of the number and boundaries of states with a view to find a common solution, and report on the same to the next IGAD Ordinary Summit in mid-September;

14. Congratulates the Republic of the Sudan on the power-sharing deal signed between the Transitional Military Council and the umbrella group Alliance for Freedom and Change that paves the way for a transition to a civilian-led government;

15. Also congratulates the Republic of Kenya on being nominated Africa’s candidate for a non-permanent seat at the UN Security Council for 2021- 2022, and commends Djibouti for graciously conceding the results;

16. Decides to remain seized of the matters.

-End-