Africa-Press – South-Sudan. First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar has put a final nail on the peace monitoring body R-JMEC and another mechanism Machar puts the final nail to the coffin of peace monitors by directing all his functions to stop any further deals with the institutions. This came following a walk-out by members of his party from the CTSAMVM meeting on Tuesday after the SPLM/A-IO felt they were short-changed and violated.
Regional bloc IGAD, which mediated the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement, has been urged to urgently intervene and stop peace parties from drawing back from implementing the deal following SPLM/A-IO’s sudden exit from the monitoring bodies and security mechanisms on Tuesday.
The SPLM/A-In Opposition, which is the main opposition group and one of the principal signatories to the 2018 peace agreement, suspended its participation from the monitoring bodies including the R-JMEC, National Transitional Committee (NTC), and several other security mechanisms over alleged attacks on its positions by the SPLM-IG led by President Salva Kiir Mayardit.
Dr Riek Macharsaid the party’s political bureau had noted dysfunctionality of the mechanisms in question in the implementation of the peace agreement and hence authorized the withdrawal of the party’s participation pending the resolution of their concerns.
“The SPLM/A-IO Political Bureau met on Tuesday 22nd, 2022 to discuss reports from the SPLM/SPLA –IO security mechanisms components namely JDB, JTSC, JMCC SDSR board, CTSAMVM SSM as well as the National Transitional Committee (NTC) and Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (R-JMEC), the PB evaluated and noted the dysfunctionality of these mechanisms in the implementations of the peace agreement.
“Deeply concerned by the ongoing attacks on SPLM/SPLA-IO cantonments and Training Centers in Kaljak and Mirmir in Unity State and in Jekou in Upper Nile State, the party approved the suspension of participation of SPLM/SPLA-IO in the security mechanisms’ meetings pending the resolution of the raised issues.
“In conclusion, the political bureau condemns in the strongest terms possible the systematic attacks of the SPLM/SPLA-IO forces and reiterates its continuous commitment to full implementation of the R-ARCSS,” read the statement signed by Dr. Machar.
The new political tension has put the fate of the peace agreement in jeopardy and signals fading trust and confidence among the parties to the peace agreement, lamented Activist Edmund Yakani of the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO).
“It’s a very disappointing development and a signal that the parties have lost trust and confidence among themselves to work together in the transitional security arrangements.
“This is also sending a message that the fate of the peace agreement is under jeopardy or under question because suspending the participation of the (SPLM)-IO in all the security institutions clearly translate that the IO is no longer having trust in its partner to work together unless things are put right,” CEPO’s Executive Director Yakani said in an interview with Juba Monitor last evening.
MrYakani called on the peace mediator, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development IGADto quickly act and bring the parties to an understanding to save the agreement from collapsing.
“And this tells very clearly that if this particular situation is not responded to urgently, the trend of coordination and partnership among them may turn to negligence and that may mean a threat to human lives.
“The peace mediator IGAD bear blames for not giving enough pressure on the parties against certain violations. Their pressure is not consistent and regular, it is more of an event that is not good.
“My appeal is that IGAD should call for an emergency meeting to discuss and resolve the latest developments. I wish that they put forward a call for an urgent meeting to bring the parties together to address their concerns and prevent further tension,” Yakani added.
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