By William Madouk Garang
The Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (R-JMEC) has warned that the current violence in Upper Nile and Jonglei states could spoil smooth implementation of the peace pact if not resolved.
Speaking during the 25th R-JMEC monthly meeting, the interim Chairperson, Charles Tai Gituai stated that they are deeply disturbed of escalating violence in the Upper Nile region.
“RJMEC is deeply concerned over the escalating violence in both Upper Nile and Jonglei states with innocent lives being lost, thousands displaced, livelihood and property destroyed,” said Gituai.
“If not addressed urgently, the wider ramifications of such violence could destabilize the ongoing implementation of the peace agreement,” he continued.
Gituai further called on the government to finance the Security monitoring mechanism to be able to probe the root cause of conflict and hold perpetrators accountable.
“It is important that Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring and Verification Mechanism (CTSAMVM),which reports to R-JMEC, be given the necessary resources to investigate and evaluate such incidents of violence,” he noted.
Gituai mentioned that leaderships in the region and beyond have shown their determination to urgently build on recent progress in order to push for more implementation.
“Therefore, it is incumbent upon the Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity (RTGoNU) to match that level of determination in the pace of implementation of the roadmap,” he added.
However, Gituai echoed that CTSAMVM continues to face problems while executing their monitoring mandate as well as being denied access to basic data.
“CTSAMVM has written further violence reports about denial of access, information and harassment of CTSAMVM personnel at Wunliet Cantonment Site in Central Equatoria state, and recruitment of training in Northern Bahr Ghazal State,” Gituai explained.
According to R-JMEC, for elections to be possible in the next 24 months, parties should adhere to roadmap timelines and national parliament to expedite the processing of all pending bills before legislature. It added that subnational violence especially in Upper Nile and Jonglei should be addressed, hold culprits accountable and critical steps be taken to address the root causes and safeguard civilians and their property.