Category: Peace

Peace parties are expected to endorse a review implementation status of the 2018 agreement next weekend to determine elections at the end of the transitional period.

The parties have been in recent weeks engaged in dialogue to break the impasse over the December 2024 slated general elections.

The positions of the SPLM In Government and SPLM-In Opposition have been a zero same as the latter rejected the holding of polls, citing un implemented key provisions of the peace agreement.

The differences prompted the parties to dialogue on the way forward.

According to Cabinet Affairs Minister, Dr Elia Lomuro, the parties have reviewed six chapters of the 2018 deal except chapter four that provides for the funding of the process.

“Reviewed things related to Chapter 1 chapter 2-chapter 3 chapter 5 and Chapter 6 regarding the constitution-making process,” he said.

The reviewed chapters include the agreement’s preliminary provision, mechanisms of the permanent constitution-making process, stages of the constitution-making process and financial provisions, among others.

Dr Lomuro who is also the Secretary General of High-Level Standing Committee on Status of the Peace Implementation says the parties were outstanding on chapter four on provision of funding.

The chapter he said, has been referred to the ministry of fiancé and relevant institutions get a full report next Saturday for signing.

“We are still outstanding on the report on chapter 4 which is now being looked at by the Ministry of Finance and the related institutions, the Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Justice , Ministry of Animals and Fisheries , Minister of Mining and so on. All  areas being reviewed by the concern institutions.”

“So, we have agreed that next Saturday when we get the full report of the implementation status of chapter 4, we will now review it as well and agree and sign on what has been reviewed.”

After that, Dr Lomuro says, the parties will then engaged on the way forward to the pending tasks.

“The next step is  just to discuss if something is not completed. How would we move forward if something is pending. For example, if the constitution-making process is pending, how do we move forward, particularly the relationships? So, these are the discussions that  be followed.”

He spoke to reporters after the meeting yesterday in Juba.

Meanwhile, Tut Gatluak, the chairperson of the standing committee said upon completion, the report will be submitted to the presidency while assuring the citizens that the parties are moving in the right path..

“We have agreed among ourselves, the parties that signed the agreement to discuss  and build on what we agreed upon,

“And I would like to tell our citizens that we are moving in the right path and we will submit the report to the leadership,” he said.

 

 

The Defense and Security Review Board has endorsed five security reform documents in line with security arrangements contained in the 2018 peace deal, weeks after UN boss called for a speedy process.

These include a Strategic Security Assessment, Security Policy Framework, Revised Defense Policy, Transformation Roadmap, and the White Paper on Defense and Security.

Speaking at a press conference following a validation workshop in Juba on Thursday, Angelina Teny, the Minister of Interior and Chair of the Board, described the consensus on the documents shows a great step in the country’s quest for security reforms.

“We called you today to inform all who are concerned, including the public, that the Board finally concluded the validation of the documents required by the Agreement,” she reportedly added.

According to Teny, the documents will be submitted to the two principals, President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar.

This comes two weeks after UN Secretary General, called on the unity government and the Strategic Defence and Security Review Board to move forward and facilitate the commencement of security sector reforms.

He made the remarks in a report on 15th April whereby he highlighted key benchmarks of the peace roadmap the government needed to implement for the UN to lift the arms embargo on South Sudan due at the end of May.

These include the completion of the Strategic Defence and Security Review process contained in the Revitalized Agreement, the formation of a unified command structure for the new security force including the training, graduation and redeployment of the forces.

Noting some progress in the Antonio Guterres encouraged the unity government to complete the Strategic Defence and Security Review process contained in the Revitalized Agreement, and form a unified command structure for the new security force.

He also appealed for the redeployment of graduated forces and the training and graduation of about 30,000 remaining unified forces.