Civil society groups in South Sudan have recommended to the IGAD mediators that reforms in the security sector should be given priority in the final peace agreement.

Thirty representatives of civil society from the ten states have been meeting in Juba over the past two days.

They were studying the IGAD’s proposals for the resolution of the conflict in South Sudan.

Justin Agustino Kirima represents the Young Men’s Christian Association, or YMCA. He read out the resolutions on behalf of the civil society groups.

“We support the proposal of having two armies within the 18-months’ period of the Transitional Government, and then we also looked at reforms in SPLA act, police act and National Security Act,” Mr Kirima said.

“We also need the involvement of civil society organizations in Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission.”

As part of the transitional justice and accountability, the civil society proposed the formation of an independent hybrid court for South Sudan.

They says this is in order to hold the perpetrators of war crimes accountable.

Grace John Kenyi, an Advocacy and Lobby Officer for the Community Empowerment and Progress Organization, says the formation of the hybrid court for South Sudan should be supported by the United Nations.

The recommendations will be presented to IGAD, the African Union Special Representative for South Sudan, Professor Alpha Omar Konare, the TROIKA, European Union and all the diplomatic missions in the country.