By Bida Elly David
The chairperson of peace monitoring body (R-JMEC) has disclosed that the national monitors serving under the Ceasefire Transitional Security Arrangement Monitoring and Verification Mechanism (CTSAMVM) tasked to prove ceasefire violations have gone on sit down strike having raised concerns over accumulated 10 months’ unpaid arrears by the government prompting them to boycott services.
Speaking at the opening of the 27th plenary of the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (R-JMEC) in Juba yesterday, R-JMEC interim chairperson, Charles Tai Gituai said that the success of the peace process will be shaken if the national monitors are not granted their arrears.
“It is disappointing that monitoring and verification Teams are unable to operate due to non-payment of 10 months’ allowances to national monitors, which has led to their boycott,” he revealed in his opening remarks.
Gen. Gituai did not however elaborate more on the total number of the national monitors who down their tools and the sum of money as well as an amount per each of them but focused on call for immediate clearance of the arrears.
He stressed Members of the Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring and Verification Mechanism (CTSAMVM) have recently gone on strike over 10-month arrears owed to them by the government.
R-JMEC interim chair called on the government to immediately settle the accumulated arrears of the ceasefire monitors to enable them resume their duties with clear hope and gear to continue evaluating the agreement.
Gituai further said, the tendency of RTGONU starting to mishandle the roadmap by halting resources meant to boost the peace process to the next level would demonstrate a passive image globally.
“I, therefore, appeal to the RTGoNU to immediately provide funds for the payment of CTSAMVM’s national monitors and the national members of all the agreement mechanisms” he urged.
The peace monitor reiterated the need for the government to value JRC’s mandate since its character is to study and make endorsements to the government on judicial reforms, while NCAC deals with amendments of the structures.
He added that RTGONU needs to invest many efforts towards pending bills which are not yet being enacted into law.
“Some of the bills submitted by the NCAC to govern reforms in the beginning of June 2022 have not yet been enacted into laws and these bills include the anti-corruption bill, the national audit chamber bill, public finance management and accountability bill and the petroleum revenue management bill,” he underlined.
Gituai said that it is crucial for these bills to be enacted and operationalized to underpin the public financial management (PFM) reform process as outlined in the Revitalized Agreement.
R-JMEC interim chair also urged RTGONU to finalize the review and registration of land policy as well as the land act 2008 to address land administrative challenges including the resettlement of the Internally Displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees who are inside and outside the country.