US Ambassador Michael J. Adler. |File Photo|.
Troika member countries released a strong statement rebuking South Sudan’s government over its failure to implement the revitalized peace agreement to transition their country to a democratic and prosperous state.
In a statement read by US Ambassador Michael J. Adler on behalf of the Troika member countries (the United States, the United Kingdom, and Norway), the Troika called on the transitional coalition government of South Sudan to open the civic and political space to give the citizens a voice in their country’s future.
Ambassador Adler said the leaders of South Sudan have not taken any steps necessary to create the conditions for peaceful and credible elections since the extension of the transitional period five months ago.
The Troika warned that the ability of the National Security Service to arbitrarily detain people for peacefully expressing their views must end and urged that the National Security Service Act be amended accordingly.
Adler said it’s sad that the Troika cannot point to significant or consequential progress by the parties to the 2018 peace agreement in implementing their peace commitments.
“Indeed, almost seven years after the signing of the peace agreement, we see the continued failure of political will on the part of its signatories to bring the transitional period to a peaceful and successful conclusion,” Adler said on behalf of the Troika member countries.
He said Troika sees the continued failure of political will to use public revenue appropriately.
He called on the transitional government in the strongest terms possible to begin using public revenue to pay public sector salaries regularly, to ensure access to basic health and education services, to unify security forces, and to pay for the implementation of other essential peace commitments.
“It is important to note that the transitional government’s failure to use public revenue appropriately and transparently predates the conflict in Sudan and the disruption of the oil pipeline. Even today, despite the challenges, the transitional government still has the financial resources to pay salaries and provide other essential public services if the political will exists,” Adler said.
“We see the continued failure of political will on the part of South Sudan’s leaders to meet the hopes of their own people and the expectations of international partners that the South Sudanese people will have peace and a government responsive to their needs,” he stated.
Adler said the absence of steps since last September’s announcement of yet another extension sadly leads to doubt about the transitional government’s commitment to make this extension the last one.
He stressed that the patience of South Sudan’s partners and its people is exhausted.
So far, 16 months have passed; the government has not paid the salaries of civil servants, organized forces, and the army. Essential public institutions such as health and education have collapsed since the suspension of foreign aid by the United States government.
“Salaries remain unpaid, eroding even further public security and public services. Living standards have only deteriorated further. Not only has there been no progress in unifying the armed forces, we are seeing direct clashes between forces associated with the signatories in Western Equatoria and Upper Nile. This is in addition to violence in other parts of the country,” Adler said.
He appealed to all parties to the agreement to take urgent steps now to implement their commitments.
“There is no more time to waste,” Troika stated in a statement read by Ambassador Alder, “The signatories to the peace agreement must end the ongoing clashes before they escalate into broader, national conflict. But the clashes are just a symptom of the core problem: the fundamental problem continues to be the willful refusal to meet peace commitments and to use public revenue transparently and for public benefit.”
