Major General Charles Tai Gituai speaks at an R-JMEC meeting in Juba. |File photo.

The Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission has said the delayed implementation of the Revitalized Agreement has resulted in significant effects such as the rampant violence in the country.

The body’s Chairperson Maj. Gen. Charles Tai Gituai made the remarks during the 23^rd R-JMEC meeting in Juba on Thursday morning.

He stressed that implementation of the outstanding tasks in the agreement is the only way towards a peaceful and prosperous South Sudan.

“The R-ARCSS lays the foundation for a united, peaceful and prosperous society based on justice, equality respect for human rights and the rule of law.” said Gen. Tai.

The peace observer also acknowledged the challenges that have hampered the speedy implementation of the 2018 accord.

“There are cross cutting challenges…such as delayed unification of forces, funding, military defections, insufficient political will, the cumulative effects of prolonged sub-national conflicts the COVID-19 pandemic,” stated Gituai.

Despite some progress in the implementation of the agreement, critical tasks such as the unification and graduation of the forces and the judicial reforms among others, have not been addressed.

Other critical parts of the agreement include chapter 3 which is the creation of a conducive environment for the voluntary return of refugees and IDPs as well as the establishment of special reconstruction funds among others.

South Sudan has the largest refugees crisis in Africa, with 2.3 million of its citizens displaced mainly to refugees camps across the East African region.

Data from the UN refugees agency, UNHCR shows more than 80 percent of the refugees are women and children.

Addressing the meeting in Juba, Gituai stated that there is a growing public anxiety over what may happen at the end of the transitional period.

“There is also public anxiety, frustration and despair on what happens when the transitional period lapses in February 2023 without the completion of all tasks in the agreement,” he asserted.

He called on the peace parties to expedite the process to over relapse of progress made in implementing the peace pact.

The R-JMEC was constituted under Chapter six of the 2018 Revitalized Agreement.

It is responsible for monitoring and overseeing the implementation of the Peace Agreement and the mandate and tasks of the unity government, including the adherence of the Parties to the agreed timelines of the implementation matrix.