R-JMEC chairperson Maj. Gen. (Rtd) George Aggrey Owinow. (-)

JUBA, (Eye Radio) – Peace monitoring mechanism R-JMEC has officially accepted the replacement of Hon. Stephen Par Kuol and Hon. Gatwech Lam Pouch with Hon. Martin Abucha Gama and Ms. Yolanda Awel Deng as the new SPLM-IO representatives.

The appointments were made by the SPLM-IO’s Deputy Chairman, Hon. Oyet Nathaniel Pierino, who is currently in exile.

In a letter addressed to R-JMEC on April 7, Hon. Oyet stated the Hon. Stephen Par was suspended by party and shall no longer represent the SPLM-IO in any official capacity in the mechanism.

Meanwhile, Oyet clarified that the replacement of Gatwech Lam Pouch because is he being “illegally detained” by the National Security Service and is therefore unable to discharge his duty in the observatory body.

The Interim Chairperson of RJMEC, Ambassador George Aggrey, confirmed receipt and acknowledgment of the appointments, in a letter addressed to Hon. Oyet.

“The Revitalized Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (R-JMEC) presents its compliments to your excellency and acknowledges receipt and takes note of your letter referenced SPLM/SPLA-IO dated 7 April 2025, appointing Hon. Martin Abucha Gama and Mrs. Yolanda Awel Deng as new members of the SPLM-IO to RJMEC, replacing Hon. Amb. Stephen Par Kuol and Hon. Gatwech Lam Pouch, respectively,” reads the statement.

This comes in the wake of an internal split within the SPLM-IO after a breakaway SPLM-IO faction led by the Minister of Peacebuilding Par Kuol declared him as the interim chairman in Juba until FVP Riek Machar is released from house arrest.

Oyet condemned the appointment of the interim leadership of the party in Juba and called on guarantors and observers of the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement to safeguard the pact from abrogation.

RJMEC is the oversight body tasked with monitoring and evaluating the implementation of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS).

It plays a critical role in ensuring that all parties comply with the peace deal and in reporting both progress and challenges throughout the transitional period.

The R-JMEC recently postponed its 40th plenary meeting scheduled for 10 April 2025 – due to what it described as unforeseen circumstances, raising concerns among key stakeholders.

Following the postponement, several diplomatic missions in Juba called on the mechanism to urgently convene the meeting to address growing political tensions and delays in the peace implementation process.