Africa-Press – South-Sudan. The peace monitoring mechanism R-JMEC has called on South Sudan peace parties to cease hostilities and the incumbent transitional government to immediately release the SPLM/A-IO leaders and military officials currently in detention, unless credible evidence warrants legal proceedings.
In a 24-page report on status of the peace accord, R-JMEC Interim Chairperson Amb. Maj. Gen. (rtd) George Aggrey Owinow, said the peace implementation ground to a halt in the first quarter of the year, as the parties engaged in repeated violations and the political and security environment worsened.
Gen. Owinow noted that in scenes not seen since the signing of the R-ARCSS over six years ago, armed conflict and violence erupted across the country, and several high-ranking opposition members were detained and imprisoned.
The report added that ministerial positions at the state and national levels were reshuffled, and portfolios within some Agreement institutions and mechanisms were abandoned.
“Some replacements involved a party to the R-ARCSS replacing its own appointees, whereas in others, the replacements were drawn from different parties. It should be noted that the Agreement is premised on the principles of collegiality, consultation and consensus, the report said.
Citing the Communiqué of the 43rd Extraordinary Summit of IGAD Heads of State and Government, Gen. Owinow called for the immediate release of the SPLM/A-IO leaders and military officials currently in detention, unless credible evidence warrants legal proceedings conducted transparently and in accordance with due process.
He also encouraged peace parties to reactivate and re-energize the functionality of all the Agreement implementation institutions and mechanisms, especially the Transitional Security Mechanisms, rebuild trust and confidence in the peace process and prioritize completion of the critical pending tasks.
The head of the peace mechanism encouraged diplomatic and political support from the regional guarantors and international partners that serve to deescalate tensions and support dialogue among the leaders of the parties to the Agreement.
He further called for the prioritization of the unification of all forces, deploy the Necessary Unified Forces (NUF) to maintain peace throughout the country, and implementation of comprehensive DDR, expedition of implementation of the Judicial Reform Committee (JRC) report and its recommendation to implement the reforms.
The R-JMEC leader said security violations reportedly committed by both the South Sudan Peoples Defense Forces (SSPDF) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army – In Opposition (SPLA -IO), now threaten the peace and stability of South Sudan.
He said in some parts of the country, civilians including women and children have borne the brunt of the fallout and have suffered serious human rights and humanitarian law violations including death, injury and displacement due to military operations and connected armed clashes.
“There has been no progress regarding the unification and deployment of forces, which under the R-ARCSS was intended to bring the former warring parties together under one unified command. Phase I deployment has not been completed, and Phase II training has not yet started,” he noted.
South Sudan continued to face a severe humanitarian crisis, which has been further escalated by widespread violence, intercommunal clashes, land disputes, insecurity, natural disasters, cholera outbreak and cross-border movements, according to the report.
“The widespread violence led to increased numbers of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) requiring urgent humanitarian assistance.”
On the Economic and Financial Management, the report said Public Financial Management Oversight Committee, which comprises the revitalized government and its development partners identified several priorities in their mid-term strategy.
“Of these, nine are contained in the provisions of the R-ARCSS and the assessment focuses on the implementation of these provisions. Progress has also been made with the implementation of the Treasury Single Account (TSA), which is a
bank account or a set of linked bank accounts through which the government maintains its receipts and payments,” it said.
The report added that very little progress was registered in the implementation of tasks associated with Transitional Justice, Accountability, Reconciliation and Healing.
It added that there is no doubt that the R-ARCSS remains the most viable framework to steer South Sudan towards the path of stability and prosperity.
“However, the current political and security situation is fragile and highly volatile, posing a serious threat to the survivability of the R-ARCSS.”
“The ongoing political conflicts are also eroding opportunities the extension provided to enhance the integration of gender equality perspectives into the peace process and better prepare women for meaningful participation in the transitional justice, constitution-making and political processes ahead of the anticipated elections in December 2026.”
The R-JMEC recommends to all peace parties and relevant stakeholders in South Sudan to cease all forms of hostility and restore adherence to the Permanent Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements, allow CTSAMVM the opportunity to investigate, verify and report findings on alleged violations of the provisions of the permanent ceasefire.
The report also urge the parties to urgently engage in continuous dialogue at all levels, de-escalate tensions, and resolve issues in a collegial manner, embracing understanding and compromise.
In particular, it called the Incumbent Transitional Government of National Unity (ITGoNU) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army – In Opposition (SPLM/A-IO) to demonstrate their commitment not to return the country to war through concrete actions and fidelity to the Agreement.
The two parties are urged to fully in the various Agreement institutions and mechanisms, which are
geared towards safeguarding the R-ARCSS, desist from actions that may escalate tensions by demonstrating leadership in
guiding South Sudan towards the path of stability and prosperity, and adhere to the protocols of the unification of forces.
South Sudan has experienced a deteriorating security and political situation since February 2025 – following the outbreak of deadly violence in Upper Nile, Western Equatoria, Western Bahr el Ghazal, and cantonment sites in Central Equatoria.
This prompted the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General to warn that the country was on the brink of another civil war.
Nicholas Haysom, who is the Head of UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), urged all parties in South Sudan to pull back from the brink and commit to peace before the country plunges into another devastating conflict, in a briefing to journalists in March.
“A conflict would erase all the hard-won gains made since the 2018 peace deal was signed. It would devastate not only South Sudan but the entire region, which simply cannot afford another war,” he warned.
Haysom’s warning came after the Chairman of U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Jim Risch said South Sudan was close to renewed war and President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar bear direct responsibility for the conflict.
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