By Mary Poni
The Executive Director of Community Empowerment for Progress Organization Mr. Edmund Yakani has urged the parties to the Revitalized Agreement to have better redeployment strategies for the unified forces once they are graduated.
He said there should be no any politicization of the redeployment strategies to be employed after the graduation.
Mr. Yakani appreciated the remarkable political will and commitment shown by the parties to the peace agreement for reaching the breakthrough to finally graduate the first batch of the Unified Forces on August 30th.
He referred the parties’ commitment to graduate the forces as the beginning of the long awaited political commitment of the political leadership since 12th September 2018, saying it is better than never.
“More similar political commitments for the genuine implementation of the pending tasks of the peace agreement before roll out of the adopted roadmap on 22nd February 2023 are required,” he urged.
“In other words, the Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity (R-TGoNU) is urged to double efforts in delivering the essential tasks of the peace agreement that defines the key milestones for regaining trust and confidence for successful transitioning of the situation from violence to peace including creating conducive environment for facilitation of the Rome peace process and political democratic process where successful transitional justice, political parties establishment, citizens-centered constitutional making and fair and free elections conducted,” he emphasized.
The activist stressed that consensus among the unified command for strategic redeployment of the unified graduated forces is essential.
According to Yakani, the key factors for the unified command should be considered during the redeployment of the graduated unified forces to strengthen the protection of civilians, provisions of security and protection of leaders for realization of political culture for regaining trust and confidence for making political stability prevail, mitigation of insecurity in the communities across the country and proper creation of individual and community safety and security.
The CEPO’s Executive Director said, the next plan should be the enrollment of the second group of forces from the parties for training and graduation as unified forces with intension of redeploying before 22nd of Dec 2022.
“Speedy implementation of the pending tasks of the transitional security arrangements under chapters two are necessary to be accomplished before the roll out of the adopted roadmap for the extended period of the peace agreement,” he noted.
“The national parliament is currently required to be more pro-active in enacting all proposed legislations and policies amendments by the National Constitution Amendment Committee (NCAC). This will contribute strongly in regaining trust and confidence of the South Sudanese and the friends of South Sudan in the region and the globe,” Mr. Yakani underscored.
He added that the R-TGoNU and other parties should prioritize matters of IDPs and Refugees return and conduct of population census timely.