The Chairperson of the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission has issued a plan to convene the peace deal’s key institutions by Wednesday next week.

These include the Joint Military Ceasefire Commission, the Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring Mechanism, and the National Constitutional Amendment Committee.

The meeting at which the parties to the agreement select their ministerial portfolios in the Transitional Government of National Unity, as described in Chapter I, Article 10.5 of the agreement, will also be held, on Wednesday, 23 December 2015, according to a statement from JMEC.

“A meeting of JMEC will be convened on Tuesday, 22 December 2015. A full implementation calendar accompanies this statement,” said Festus Mogae in a statement.

The government and the SPLM in Opposition have been quarreling over the number of SPLM-IO advance team that should travel to Juba in line with a security arrangements deal the two parties signed in October.

Dr Riek Machar-led opposition insists on sending 600-member to Juba, a proposal the government rejected, saying receiving such a big number is a ‘security risk’.

The government says it would accept a team comprising of less than 50 members.

“In order to permit the convening of these meetings, the chairperson has issued a plan for the return of the advance party of the SPLM/A (In Opposition), which is sequenced, phased and balanced, and addresses existing logistical and security concerns,” the former Botswanan President added.

He said the first group of returnees will arrive in Juba by the end of this week, followed by two further groups in the weeks of 21 and 28 December.

“Further delay [is] unacceptable and implementation could not be stalled because of unresolved procedural issues,” he continued.

Mr Mogae appealed to all parties to ‘fully embrace the plan issued here’ so that implementation of the peace agreement can move forward without further delay.