President Salva Kiir and his long-time political rival, Dr. Riek Machar, who is also the first vice president of the transitional unity government formed in 2018, shacking hands at Dr. John Garang Mausoleum at an event attended by former Sudan’s President, Umar Hassan Ahmed al-Bashir. |File Photo|.
Juba–South Sudan- Peace monitor Charles Tai Gituai warned South Sudan leaders against the perpetual extension of the transitional period and postponement of the general elections, a sign of the lack of political will to embrace democracy.
This new warning came as the transitional government of national unity formed in 2018 following the signing of the revitalised peace agreement decided to extend the transitional period and push the elections to 2026, a seemingly endless extension cycle.
The latest election postponement is the fourth in the past decade. The 2015 peace agreement ending the country’s first civil war included a commitment to conduct elections 60 days before the end of the 30-month transitional period.
Yet this agreement was prematurely ended by the eruption of the second civil war in 2016. The 2018 Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS) ending the second civil war provided for elections 60 days before the end of a 36-month transitional period.
Again, this commitment was not honored, as the signatory parties decided in August 2022 to postpone elections for another 24 months to December 2024. Now, the signatory parties have again delayed elections for 24 months.
The Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC)—a body tasked to monitor the progress of the implementation of the peace agreement—on Wednesday, 20 November, presented its quarterly report on the status of implementation of the agreement to the reconstituted Transitional National Legislative Assembly (R-TNLA).
Following the extension of the Transitional Period by 24 months last September, Charles Tai told the members of the August House that there is a “need for a sense of urgency, prioritization, focus and deliberate demonstration of practical implementation of the agreement tasks within timelines.”
While giving Chapter-by-Chapter updates on the status of the implementation of the peace agreement, Charles Tai said, “I would like to underscore that two years is a very short time, and it cannot be business as usual and much remains to be done if free, fair and credible elections have to be conducted by December 2026, under a permanent constitution as envisaged in the Agreement.”
Having agreed to a two-year extension of the peace agreement, Charles Tai added that “it is imperative that the Revitalised Transitional Government of National Unity (RTGoNU), the TNLA, and all other stakeholders work to complete the pending tasks of the Agreement, particularly, those related to the Permanent Constitution-making, electoral preparations, unification of the forces, and transitional justice.”
“At the same time, further opening up of civic and political space cannot be overemphasized, in order to provide an enabling environment for political participation by the general public, especially in the constitution-making and election processes.”
In his briefing given pursuant to Article 7.9 of the Revitalised Peace Agreement, Amb. Gitaui urged the Assembly to enhance its effectiveness in discharging its oversight responsibility and to prevail on the RTGoNU to adhere to the agreed implementation schedule, provide funding and ensure accountable and transparent utilisation of allocated resources.
Additionally, he called on the parties to the agreement to embrace the Tumaini Initiative as a means of bringing in the holdout groups, in the spirit of compromise, inclusivity, forgiveness, and reconciliation for the purpose of enhancing a united, peaceful, and prosperous society based on justice, equality and respect for human rights and the rule of law.
In his conclusion, he called on the parties to the revitalized peace agreement to continue engaging in dialogue during this critical period of the extension with a view to implementing the critical outstanding tasks.
