Why should the Unification of commands take long?
By Kiden Stela Mandela
This is the third week that the citizens have been awaiting the unification of the army Commands in the country after the principal parties to the Revitalized Peace Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS) agreed to sort out their grievances on the implementation of the security Arrangement.
Also on Saturday last week the Presidential Advisor on Security Affairs revealed that the unification of command was scheduled for Monday by the Joint Defense Board (JDB).
Nevertheless, last month the SPLM-IO headed by the First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar tendered a Resignation letter to the IGAD withdrawing from the peace process due to Mirmir clashes where civilians were killed and wounded. The SSPDF and SPLM-IO ended up blaming one another. The issue of the unification of forces is still hanging and is being pushed from weeks to weeks.
On the 5th April 2022, the President launched a nationwide consultation on the establishment of the commission for Truth, Reconciliation and Healing which in chapter Five of the agreement obligates the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, stakeholders and civil societies to conduct the public consultation before the kickoff of the process but up to now the public did not hear any feedback from either parties.
If our leaders were to have one heart by now, the decrees would have been issued for the unification of the command according to 60:40 percent ratios for SPLM-IG and SPLA-IO and SSOA respectively.
This will boost the progress of the unification of forces but now there is nothing going forward.
We don’t want sweet political talks just to give people hope when the actual peace is not in their hearts and if there are some politicians who do not want to leave positions, they should not disturb the hearts of the principals to the peace agreement. Now even the public is waiting to hear what is next is going to happen. It is not good to see this country shedding blood again.
Why should we destroy God’s people simply for position and greed? South Sudan leaders need to fear God.
I appeal to our leaders who are principals to the 2018 peace agreement to stick to their terms and conditions to move the country forward in the implementation of the peace agreement.
They should tell the public that they are doing the right thing because it is not good to leave your people’s hope to hang in the balance.
South Sudan needs total peace because is better to die of hunger than dying of bullets like the case of Mirmir where a number of innocent souls were lost.
God Bless South Sudan. Be right there!!