The African Union has warned that the peace deal has reached a critical stage and has urged the SPLM in opposition to attend the next meetings of the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission.

It says the peace deal is likely to fail if the warring parties do not commit to the agreement and the permanent ceasefire.

The Joint Monitoring and Evaluation commission held its first meeting last Friday, to launch its operation in Juba.

The JMEC Chairperson, Festus Gontebanye Mogae, says for the commission to work, it has to be a collaborative body.

The meeting was supposed to be attended by representatives from the government, the opposition, and the Former Detainees.

However, the members of the advance team of the SPLM in Opposition, who were expected in Juba last week, were not in the capital for the meeting.

In a statement, the Chairperson of the AU Commission, Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, said the SPLM in Opposition should ensure that they attend upcoming meetings of the JMEC.

The SPLM in Opposition leader, Dr. Riek machar had earlier said that they wanted to first ensure the safety of the team in Juba.

Dr. Nkosazana also noted that fighting and abuses continue to grow, making the humanitarian situation worse. The next JMEC meeting is yet to be announced.