By Ephraim Modi Duku Sokiri
Peace monitoring body, the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC) are anxious about the claims that lack of funds is the stumbling block to the effective functioning of ceasefire monitor.
Speaking at the monthly R-JMEC 28th meeting held in Juba yesterday, RJMEC interim chair Amb. Lt. Gen. Charles Tai Gitua said that little has changed, and that the National Monitor at CTSAMVM have not resumed operations, as well as the commission for the Disarmament Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR).
“…the JDB, JMCC, JTSC AND SDSR Board members still lack allowances to sustain themselves, as well as financial support to execute their transitional security arrangements tasks,” he said.
“The DDR Commission has no funding and the CTSAMVM national monitors have not resumed work due to the non-payment of their allowances by the Revitalized Government of National Unity” he added.
Amb. Gen. Gituai appealed to the RTGoNU to fund the process of all the mechanisms not excluding the DDR Commission. He also added his concern to the RTGoNU’s briefing during the plenary on the progress, in availing funds for all the arrangement implementation mechanisms.
Speaking at the meeting, the unity government representative, Michael Makuei Lueth reiterated the concerns of the government towards the implementation of the agreement for peace to prevail in the country.
Meanwhile, the UN Secretary General Deputy Special Presentative, Mr. Guong Cong called on the parties to the agreement to redouble their efforts towards meeting the dateline in the implementation of the roadmap.
He also urged all the national players to participate amicably with the locals to bring the recurring subnational violence to an end.
Last year, the United States (US) withdrew its support for South Sudan’s peace agreement implementation citing a lack of meaningful progress in implementing the pact.
The move followed weeks of warnings by the US that it would cease fund for two peace monitoring mechanisms unless South Sudanese leaders presented a clear roadmap on the fate of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS) after its expiration in February 2023.
The two mechanisms one on overseeing the implementation of the agreement and the other for ceasefire monitoring are critical for holding accountable the parties in South Sudan’s peace process.