Peace Monitors Endorse Extension of South Sudan’s Transitional Period

South Sudan's President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar in Juba, August 11, 2022 (PPU photo)

September 1, 2022 (JUBA) – Members of the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC) on Thursday voted to extend the transitional period and term of South Sudan’s coalition government until February 22, 2025.

The “Agreement on the Roadmap to a Peaceful and Democratic end to the Transitional Period of the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan,” was presented by parties to the 2018 peace deal.

According to Article 8.4 of the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS), at least two-thirds of the voting members of the peace monitoring body consent to an amendment of the agreement.

On Thursday, however, 37 of RJMEC members voted in favour of the extension.

Following the voting, the RJMEC Chairperson, Amb. Maj Gen Charles Tai Gituai will submit the decision of the RJMEC together with the accompanying resolution to the RTGoNU to consider RJMEC’s position and recommendation in this regard.

“I would like to encourage the Parties to continuously dialogue, work together to enhance the rebuilding of trust and confidence in the peace process, by taking concrete steps to address all the key impediments to progress in the implementation of the Agreement,” Gituai noted in his closing remarks.

He further “urged the RTGoNU Parties to implement the Roadmap in an inclusive manner, including by continuously consulting with all relevant stakeholders, and civil society actors, during its implementation”.

The chairperson of the peace monitoring body urged the coalition government to “demonstrate full and unwavering political will and commitment to implement all the priority tasks set out in the roadmap, in accordance with letter and spirit of the Revitalised Peace Agreement to implement additional interim measures, including an economic recovery plan to improve the current business environment.”

South Sudan descended into violence in December 2013 following a political dispute between President Salva Kiir and his then deputy Riek Machar, leading to the death and displacement of millions of civilians in Africa’s newest nation.

More than 2 million people, the United Nations said, have been displaced by the conflict that subsided amid peace mediation by the international community that culminated in the establishment of a transitional government of national unity in February 2020.

(ST)