Activist urges parties to recommit to peace agreement
A civil society activist has appealed to the parties to the agreement to commit to the implementation of the revitalised peace agreement.
The Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), Executive Director, Edmund Yakani, said the violence in Pagak, Maiwut, and Longechuk areas defies various pledges made to the citizens by the two main protagonists in the revitalised agreement.
This comes after the recent violence in parts of the Upper Nile region between the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in opposition and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement forces.
Yakani urged the leaders to reiterate their commitment to putting the R-ARCSS into effect as soon as possible.
“This negative development is unacceptable and it cannot be allowed to continue like this.” “Violence is not a total option for resolving political grievances among the political establishments in South Sudan,” he said.
“The cost of a return to war will be economically and politically damaging for the nation and its citizens.”
“It is an unaffordable act and total political stupidity if it happens. What was a military confrontation between the SPLA-IO and SSPDF recently should not be allowed to extend to other parts of the country, “the activist stressed.
He urged the presidency to convene an emergency meeting to reaffirm its commitment to the full execution of the peace deal as the sole non-violent means of bringing the country to peace and stability.
“Any failure in implementing R-ARCSS and any return to war with the instrument of the presidency is primarily to be blamed. Undermining genuine R-ARCSS implementation is a grave mistake for which the country will pay a high price and great cost, “Yakani warned.
Yakani further urged the agreement’s guarantors, among them the Sudan government, the IGAD chair, and Uganda, as well as the IGAD special envoy, to act quickly to resolve the disagreements between the SPLA-IO and the SSPDF.
Blame games
Last week, SPLA-IO and SSPDF traded accusations on social media in response to recent reports of clashes in Maiwut County, Upper Nile
The SPLM-IO, the agreement’s main opposition party, had withdrawn from a technical meeting of the Ceasefire Transitional Security Arrangement Monitoring and Verification Mechanism (CTSAM-VM), citing a breach of the ceasefire agreement as a result of attacks on their positions in four locations: Jekou, Lolnyang, Wankoribe, and Kurikek.
The SPLM-IO political bureau announced on March 23, 2022, that they had suspended their participation in all security mechanism meetings. This meant they snubbed the meetings by the Joint Defence Board (JDB), Joint Transitional Security Commission (JTSC), SDSR Board, CTSAM-VM, and National Transitional Committee (NTC), due to the pending resolution of the Upper Nile region clashes.
Also, the Opposition Alliance (SSOA), the Former Detainees (FD), and the Other Political Parties (OPP) last Thursday boycotted the R-JMEC conference in what seemed to be in solidarity with the SPLM-IO.
