Africa-Press – South-Sudan. There is a subtle delay in the formation of the Joint Security Committee agreed upon in the Khartoum Peace Agreement, which involved the SPLM-IG, Kit Gwang faction of the SPLM/A-IO led by Simon Gatwech Dual and Agwelek forces of Johnson Olony.
The Khartoum peace agreement was signed last week in Khartoum in an attempt to end the conflict between Kit Gwang, Agwelek, and the SPLM/A-IO led by Dr Riek Machar Teny. President Salva Kiir immediately granted the factions amnesty and asked them to apologise to the citizens of South Sudan for their wrongdoing.
The terms of the agreement included the formation of the Joint Security Committee to kick start and oversee the process of integrating Kit Gwang and Agwelek forces into the SSPDF.
The committee was slated to be formed immediately, and the integration process would be put into effect within three months of signing the agreement.
However, The City Review established that not much has been done since Gen Olony’s advanced team jetted into Juba ahead of the integration process.
Attempts to reach the presidential press secretary, Ateny Wek Ateny, and the Minister for Presidential Affairs, Dr Barnaba Marial Benjamin, were unfruitful. The office of presidential security advisor Tut Gatluak was unable to comment as he could not be reached.
However, the spokesperson of the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF), where the forces should be integrated, said they had not received any communication so far.
“We have not yet received any communication from the delegation concerning the formation of the committee and the integration. You can try to confirm the progress from the delegation,” Maj Gen Lul Ruai said.
Terms of agreement
The agreement had six terms to be strictly met by the parties to the agreement. It was agreed that the government should grant amnesty to the leaders of the factions just as it was in the 2018 peace agreement.
They signed that they would be committed to the Khartoum Declaration Agreement of June 27, 2018, and support the settlement of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and other government initiatives.
The implementation of the agreement is to be carried out by the Joint Security Committee, which would be formed within three months and ensure that the Kit Gwang forces are relocated to Manyo, Southern Malakal, and Eastern Jonglei.
Then, the government would deploy police to secure the civilians and coordination offices built in Bor, Juba, and Malakal as food and medical supplies would be provided by the SSPDF.
Committed to peace
The first delegation came to Juba on Thursday last week, led by Paul Achut Nyibek, the deputy chair of Agwelek forces, as he prepared the way for the visit of Johnson Olony to Juba. Nyibek said Simon Gatwech would come immediately after Olony’s return to Juba.
“We are [in Juba] for the implementation of the agreement that we have signed. We are serious about this; the agreement has to be implemented. That is why we are here,” Achut said.
“Upper Nile State has suffered enough [and] all its citizens are scattered, and we, the sons and daughters of Upper Nile State, have resolved that enough is enough; we don’t want more war,” he added.
“This country cannot take any more wars. We have agreed that enough is enough. We have killed ourselves enough, so when peace comes, nobody can stop it, and this is what is happening now. We came here today. Olony will be here tomorrow, ” Achut added.
The government delegation subsequently arrived in the capital on Monday and briefed the president on the signed Khartoum Peace Agreement.
President Kiir directed them to expedite the implementation of the Khartoum Peace Agreement, which Jokino Fidel, who spoke on behalf of the delegation, promised they were bound to do.
Machar warns of violations
The SPLM/A-IO applauded the agreement and called it a defection agreement, saying that it was a violation of the 2018 peace deal which barred parties from either training or recruiting forces.
In a statement circulated, Machar said that he acknowledged that the Kit Gwang and Agwelek forces were part of the SSPDF and thus directed his forces not to initiate any further confrontation.
However, he warned that any attack by Kit Gwang and Agwelek forces would be counted as having been done by the SSPDF. He urged President Kiir to direct his forces and Kit Gwang and Agwelek forces to respect the ceasefire by not attacking SPLM/A-IO positions.
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