Peace partners urged to stop ‘unnecessary bickering’

A civil society activist has appealed to the parties to stop trading accusations among themselves and implement the security arrangement.

The executive director of Community Empowerment for Progress Organisation (CEPO), Edmund Yakani, was reacting to the recent statement made by both the 

the South Sudan People’s Defense Force and the SPLM/A-IO.

 On May 1, 2022, the South Sudan People’s Defence Force accused the SPLM/A-IO of massive mobilisation of forces and armed civilians in the Upper Nile through a press statement extended to media outlets. But SPLA-IO denied these allegations.

Yakani said the new development of accusations is disturbing and demonstrates a violation of the action plan agreement on the implementation of the transitional security arrangement agreed upon by both parties.

Dangerous impacts

He added that this trend of negative development is strongly contributing to an increasing number of civilians and friends of South Sudan losing confidence and trust in the partners in the genuine implementation of the R-ARCSS by the partners. 

“It is high time for the partners to respect and abide by the agreements signed dated April 3, 2022,” Yakani said.

The activist stressed that the partners are very close to the finish line of peace implementation and it would be bad to reach the finish line without genuinely implementing the transitional security arrangements.

Yakani said security arrangements are one of the key milestones necessary for conducting a free, fair, and non-violent election. 

Without stable security arrangements; it will be harder to conduct credible national general elections,” Yakani stated.

 “The country is tired of violence. The peace partners need to give peace a chance and demonstrate a sense of primary responsibility for making peace prevail. 

“The game of dragging feet on genuine implementation of the transitional security arrangements is bad and it projects the partners’ lack of political will and commitment to transitioning the country timely from violence to peace,” he added.

Yakani further said deadlines agreed upon in the recent deal signed in Juba on April 3, 2022, are not respected and honoured. 

He said the peace partners are regularly maintaining hard lines to work genuinely towards the implementation of chapter two of the agreement. He termed this a bad image for the country given the planned visit of Pope Francis and the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Portal Welby.

Yakani called on the leaders to sincerely deliver the transitional security arrangements on time and genuinely. 

He appealed to the two militaries, the SSPDF and SPLA-IO, to respect and honour the recent deal signed in Juba on April 3, 2022, with full responsibility for timely and genuine implementation of the deal’s agreed provisions.