Photo credit|Wol Mapal

The United Sudan African Party (USAP), a signatory to the 2018 revitalized peace agreement, has expressed support for ongoing efforts to amend the peace accord while cautioning against unilateral changes to key provisions without broad public consultation.

Speaking to journalists in Juba on Tuesday, USAP Interim Chairperson Joseph Malek Arop said the party recognizes the right of parties to the agreement to introduce amendments, describing the process as part of preparations toward elections.

However, Arop stressed that any amendments to the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS) must involve all signatory parties and be subjected to public hearings.

“The position of USAP is very clear. The peace agreement provides the parties with the right to amend it, but such amendments must be subjected to public hearings and must also be inclusive,” Arop said.

“All parties should participate in the process. If the process is unilateral, it cannot be considered a legitimate decision. This agreement was built on consensus, and one side cannot make decisions without the involvement of the other parties,” he added.

Arop specifically raised concerns over Articles 8.2, 8.3, and 8.4 of the agreement, which relate to the supremacy of the peace accord.

He described the provisions as “strange” and warned that amending or repealing them without wider consultations could have serious consequences for the country.

“Yes, we support amendments to the agreement, but there are two or three provisions that are very strange, particularly those related to the supremacy of the agreement, Articles 8.2, 8.3, and 8.4,” he said.

“We are not against amendments, but these provisions and articles must be subjected to public hearings and broad consultations involving all political parties that are signatories to the agreement, because amending or repealing them could cause serious damage to South Sudan,” Arop warned.

The remarks come a day after chaotic scenes were reported in the Transitional National Legislature during the tabling of proposed amendments to the peace agreement.

Lawmakers on Monday engaged in heated exchanges and procedural disagreements after the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Michael Makuei Lueth, presented resolutions seeking amendments to three chapters and one annex of the R-ARCSS.

The parliamentary session reportedly descended into disorder as some legislators questioned both the substance of the proposed amendments and the lack of wider consultation among signatory parties and the public.

Supporters of the amendments argue the proposed changes are necessary to facilitate the implementation of pending transitional tasks and pave the way for elections.

Critics, however, fear that altering key provisions without consensus could undermine the spirit of the 2018 peace agreement.

The R-ARCSS, signed in 2018, ended years of civil conflict in South Sudan and established a transitional government tasked with implementing reforms, reunifying forces, drafting a permanent constitution, and preparing the country for democratic elections.