The opposition legislators argued that the procedures followed were flawed and lacked the endorsement of all parties to the peace agreement.
They said the SPLM-IO was neither consulted nor fully involved in the process, which they claim contravenes provisions of the R-ARCSS.
Speaking to the press on Sunday, Chaguor Ater Bol, chairperson of the Specialized Committee on Livestock and Fisheries, said, “As of the press today on the 11th of May 2026, the Transitional National Legislature tabled the amendment of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS) 2018 in its first reading stage.”
“Therefore, the honorable members of parliament representing SPLM/A-IO would like to inform the public concerning the major violations of the R-ARCSS that are taking place today,” he added.
Bol outlined what he described as procedural irregularities in the amendment process.
“One, the initial procedures were wrong from the onset under Article 1.9.4. Two, the endorsement by the parties — we mean those which are signatories to the agreement — and SPLM/A-IO, as we know it, was not part and parcel of the process,” he said.
“Three, the presentation of the bill before the assembly for ratification without first securing the consent of the parties is unprocedural under Article 8.4 of the R-ARCSS,” Bol stated.
On the way forward, Bol said the opposition bloc was calling for dialogue and a return to the implementation of the peace agreement.
“What we need is an inclusive dialogue that will lead us back to full implementation of the agreement. The process that is taking place now is unprocedural, and the amendment process will not be accepted by SPLM/A-IO, and we reject it in totality,” he said.
In a joint statement issued in Juba in April, the embassies of Canada, France, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States, together with the European Union delegation, warned that any amendments to the 2018 peace agreement must strictly follow procedures outlined in the accord.
The diplomats also questioned claims of political consensus, saying inclusive consultations could not be credible in the absence of detained First Vice President Riek Machar, leader of the SPLM-IO.
The Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC), the body overseeing implementation of the peace deal, also cautioned that amendments to the R-ARCSS require consultation, consensus and approval among all signatory parties before being ratified by parliament.
Civil society activist Edmund Yakani, Executive Director of the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), earlier urged political leaders to adhere to legal procedures in the amendment process.
“Any attempt to amend provisions outside RJMEC procedures is a clear violation of Article 8.4 of the R-ARCSS,” Yakani said, warning that shortcuts could undermine the credibility of the peace process.
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