Simon Akuei Deng, Commissioner-General of South Sudan Revenue Authority - Courtesy

The South Sudan Chamber of Commerce, a signatory to the 2018 peace agreement, has called on parties to engage in honest dialogue to rebuild trust and ensure effective implementation of security arrangements.

Simon Akuei Deng, Secretary General of South Sudan’s Chamber of Commerce, emphasized that the failure to implement security arrangements arises from a lack of trust among the parties with armed wings.

The SPLM, SPLM-IO, and SSOA are the peace parties in the 2018 agreement that possess armed wings, all of which must be integrated as stipulated in the terms of the agreement.

Last month, the transitional government extended its tenure until December 2026, a decision aimed at implementing pending tasks.

Presidential Adviser on National Security, Hon. Tut Gatluak told reporters that the extension is an opportunity to implement the critical remaining protocols in the R-ARCSS, such as the permanent constitution process, census, and the registration of political parties.

According to the statement, the Minister of Cabinet Affairs Dr. Martin Elia Lomuro said the extension is in response to the recommendations from both electoral institutions and the security sector.

During Eye Radio’s Sundown on Tuesday, October 15, 2024, Akuei attributed the inadequate implementation of the agreement to fear among various stakeholders.

“Let’s be serious—do you think that just 10% is something to laugh about? It’s not a laughing matter,” Akuei stated.

“We cannot go six years and only implement 10%. We would have felt proud if it were even 40%,” he emphasized.

“The reason for this low implementation rate is fear of the unknown and fear of taking action,” he explained.

“People worry about what might happen if they disarm their forces or surrender their weapons. These fears must be addressed through honest dialogue,” he concluded.

Akuei called on the government to prioritize accountability of future funds that will be allocated for peace implementation during the 24-month extended period.

He pointed out that the government needs to adhere to transparency and accountability as stipulated in the general principles of the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement.

Citing the earlier financial allocations to different mechanisms, Akuei questioned the lack of public audits and reports on how the funds were spent in the previous extension.

He says proper implementation of the peace agreement would foster national stability and economic growth.

“The Presidency need to monitor as part of the accountability. If NPTC is given money today, which was done, where is the audit of that money? Where is the report of the NTPC expense? How much did they spend? It should be made public to the stakeholders,” Akuei said.

“If we strictly follow the guidelines and implement the agreement, we won’t face any problems; in fact, we could achieve even more,” he stated.

“Many believe that taking certain actions will have negative consequences for them, but we should recognize that these actions could enhance the overall environment for everyone’s benefit,” he added.

“We need to create a conducive atmosphere that allows everyone to thrive. Therefore, we must eliminate the fear of implementation so we can move forward with the peace agreement,” he concluded.

Yar Manoa, representing the Business Community, emphasized the need for the government to intensify its efforts to achieve full implementation during the extended timeframe.

She believes that a stronger commitment from the government is essential for realizing the objectives of the peace agreement.

“If only 10% has been implemented in six years, then at that rate, it would take 54 years to complete the remaining 90%,” Yar remarked.

“That was just a hypothetical scenario, but what we truly want is for them to implement at least 50% to 80% as we move towards fulfilling the peace agreement. Ideally, it should be 100%, but we need to be realistic about our expectations,” he added.