The Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission has called upon the parties to the peace agreement to demonstrate the ‘utmost flexibility and spirit of compromise’ to ensure the deal is implemented.

The remark comes after the leader of the SPLM-IO, Dr Riek Machar, failed to travel to Juba twice – on 18 and 19 April.

Opposition officials blame the delays on difficulty getting the travel permit of General Simon Gatwech Dual, the Chief of General Staff of opposition forces.

Gen Gatwech is one of the senior military leaders of the opposition that were sanctioned by the UN in 2015.

But the government has blamed the second postponement of Dr Riek Machar’s return to Juba on ‘unrealistic demands and decision’ by Dr Machar.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Information Minister Michael Makuei said the government learned that “he (Dr Machar) wanted to come with an arsenal of arms, inter alia, anti-tanks, laser-guided missiles and heavy machine guns”.

Peace deal at risk

“The agreement is at risk,” said JMEC Chairperson Festus Mogae in a press statement issued last evening. “Having come so close to the formation of the Transitional Government of National Unity, all parties must ensure that the spirit of reconciliation, compromise, and dialogue embodied by the Agreement should be protected.”

While expressing his deep disappointment that Dr Machar failed to travel to Juba on a chartered aircraft provided by international partners, Mr Mogae also appealed to the government to ensure its full cooperation in ensuring the return arrangements for Dr Machar are ‘amicably agreed’.

The former Botswanan President expressed his hope that the flight of the First Vice President-designate could be rescheduled within days, without further conditions, to ensure the timely formation of the Transitional Government of National Unity.

JMEC is expected to convene an extraordinary meeting on Thursday morning.