EU High Representative Josep Borrell | Credit | Reuters

The European Union has urged the peace parties to resolve all the contentious issues before establishment of the unity government next month.

The September 2018 revitalized peace agreement provides for setting up of government of national unity.

However, its formation has been postponed twice due to unimplemented provisions – a determination of the number and boundaries of states and security arrangements.

It was initially to be formed in May 2019, but it was pushed to November the same year to allow for implementation of the aforementioned issues.

Before the 12 November 2019 deadline, leaders began to speak the language of war, prompting the international community to ask for another extension – for 100 days.

As of now, just about 30 days to the formation of the government, observers say the outstanding issues remain unresolved – soldiers have not been fully trained, unified and deployed and discussions on the number of states and boundaries have hit a deadlock.

“The EU calls upon all parties to urgently tackle the outstanding issues that should be resolved before the formation of the new government, as agreed by the parties in the peace agreement,” partly reads a Declaration by the High Representative, Josep Borrell, on behalf of the EU on South Sudan.

“This includes finding a compromise solution on the number and boundaries of states as well as making substantial progress in the security arrangements, particularly in full participation of all forces including all government forces in the process and in agreeing a new unified chain of command.”

In December 2019, the Trump administration threatened to impose more individual sanctions against the main leaders of the peace parties should they fail to implement the peace deal which is expected to end the suffering of the common citizens.

The conflict, which was triggered by power wrangles among the liberators has cost nearly 400,000 lives, weakened the economy and destroyed properties, according to reports.

“We’re not prepared to continue to hear arguments for why more time must be given. We think it’s past time, frankly, for the leadership to sit together and begin to find ways to move this country forward,” Bryan Hunt, the State Department’s office director for Sudan and South Sudan, told the media at the US Institute of Peace in October.