Africa-Press – South-Sudan. With only 27 percent of the 2018 peace deal completed in the last three years, parties to the peace agreement said they are determined to implement over 70 percent of the pending tasks in the next two years.
The First Vice President, Dr. Riek Machar said it took the government three years to implement roughly 27.3 percent of the 2018 peace accord.
According to Machar, 31.1 percent is a work in progress, and 41.4 percent is pending.
This leaves the principals to the peace deal with more than 70 percent of the provisions unimplemented.
“We are all cognizant that in the next four months, you cannot implement what is in this agreement. You have 72.7 percent of the agreement unimplemented. You have no choice,” Machar said.
The implementation matrix of the agreement indicates that, the transitional period shall elapse in February next year.
With many of the provisions untouched, as time flies by, President Salva Kiir decided to form a high level committee to come up with a roadmap, for a peaceful and democratic end of the transitional period.
The Roadmap assessed the implementation status of the provisions of each chapter, identifying provisions that are either completed, in progress or outstanding.
The articles in progress or outstanding, are recorded and tabulated with implementation time-frame, start and finish dates to provide a schedule for the implementation.
The objective, according to the committee, is to ensure a peaceful end of the interim period, with elections held and a democratically elected government for the Republic of South Sudan installed.
There are critical tasks in the agreement that are supposed to be implemented before the end of the transitional period to pave way for credible, free and fair elections.
This include the unification of forces and their deployment, the making of a permanent constitution and reconstitution of the electoral commission, among others.
Last week, parties to the unity government extended the transitional period for 24 months, until December 2024, where elections are expected to usher in a new government.
President Salva Kiir signed on behalf of the ruling party – SPLM-IG, Dr. Machar signed on behalf of SPLM-IO and Gabriel Changson Chang signed for the opposition coalition – SSOA.
On the other hand, Deng Alor Kuol signed for the Former Detainees, while Peter Mayen and Wilson Lodiong signed for the Other Political Parties.
The decision to extend the timeline of the transitional period, was however protested by the Troika countries, who expressed concerns over exclusive process.
Diplomats from the US, UK, and Norway boycotted the peace implementation roadmap meeting at the Freedom Hall, saying all relevant parties have not been consulted on the matter.
The chairman of the National Democratic Movement has also criticized the unity government for the extension, terming it a deliberate tactic to stay in power.
Dr. Lam Akol said, the decision by the peace parties in Juba, is the outcome of a deliberate obstruction to speedy implementation of the peace provisions.
Detailed timeline of the extension before the December 2024 elections.
In the roadmap for chapter-1 of the agreement, there are eighteen (18) items to be implemented.
The pending tasks are, review of the new National Elections Act to conform with the permanent constitution upon its ratification by the constituent assembly by the 30th August, 2023.
This review follows six months after the National Constitutional Review Commission (NCRC) conducts civic education on the permanent constitution.
The consultation will happen from 30th June, 2024 to 30th December, 2024, and continues for two (2) from 30th June, 2024 to 30th August, 2024.
The other critical task is the enactment of the Political Parties Act, 2022. The enactment of the bill is to enable the registration and establishment of the Political Parties Council, if impacted upon by the permanent constitution.
The National Election Commission (NEC) will then commence the electoral process starting from 30th August, 2022 in order to be fully established.
Afterwards, the Judicial Reform Committee (JRC) shall study and recommend Judicial reforms for the Judiciary of South Sudan to be implemented by the Judicial Service Commission to improve on justice and the rule of law prior to the conduct of elections.
Roadmap for Chapter-2, there are seven items to be implemented for orderly graduation and redeployment of the unified forces; Four to be ironed out in 2022 and two in 2023.
Phase-1 is the graduation and deployment process of the forces, to commence in August, 2022.
Phase-2 includes cantonment, screening, reorganization and training of the remaining forces, which is proposed to commence after the graduation and redeployment of their forces by 30th November, 2022, to continue for 6 Months with their graduation and redeployment by 30th November, 2022.
Roadmap for Chapter-3: are 19 items to be carried out, with implementation started on the 30th March, 2019 and set to continue till 30th October, 2025, beyond elections.
Roadmap for Chapter-4 says all the items in progress and outstanding have to be implemented. Twelve items are due in 2022,fifty-two to be implemented in 2023, one in 2024 and another in 2025.
In the roadmap for Chapter-5: eighteen items are to be executed under this Chapter, two having been completed in 2021 and four (4) due to finish in 2022.
The process of establishing the Commission for Truth, Reconciliation and Healing commenced on 22nd May, 2020 and shall be completed by the 22nd September, 2022.
Apart from the HCSS which awaits guidelines from the AU, the CRA which was initiated on 9th May, 2022, should be established by 9th November, 2022.
In the roadmap for Chapter-6, there are twenty-one actions to be undertaken.
Two actions were completed in 2021 and six are expected to finish this year. Seven will be implemented in 2023 and four in 2024.
The establishment of the Constitutional Drafting Committee (CDC) shall be after the restructuring and reconstitution of the NCRC.
The CDC then begins its work of drafting the permanent constitutional text and follow the due processes.
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