By Ephraim Modi Duku Sokiri
Japanese Government has donated three hundred thousand United States Dollars to the peace monitoring body, Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring and Verification Mechanism (CTSAMVM) to pay off its striking national monitor’s allowances and activities.
CTSAMVM was handed over the money on Tuesday during their meeting in Juba.
Speaking to No.1 Citizen Daily Newspaper, CTSAMVM’s Communication Officer Margret Lole confirmed the contribution of the Japanese government.
“Yes, 300,000 USD, so they decided that okay, …but it’s not something that comes every month or every year but this is like one of the supports so that the government and other donors can also come on board, so that they (CTSAMVM) are able to support the National Monitors,” she confirmed.
This followed a concern pointed out yesterday by the chairperson of CTSAMVM Gen. Asrat Denero Amad on the situation of National Monitors who were not paid their salaries since April 2020 and have stopped their operations.
“My interest on CTSAMVM deals are not successful because National Monitors are already not working, we need to see this problem, we need to urge the government to give salary on time as we know since April 2020, till now, they are not getting salary,” he said.
He added that what the National Monitors have been getting is a daily allowance which is basic to cater for their daily needs.
This issue has caused the adjournment of their meeting yesterday which was pushed to discuss other matters than what was expected from the MVTs.
The National Monitors’ mandate is to collect data of violations on ground, reports to CTSAMVM technical committee (CTC) to be discussed and approved by the board to be passed to the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD)’s Council of ministers.
Representative from Sudan People’s Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO) Hon. Regina Joseph Kaba commended the efforts of CTSAMVM in supporting the National Monitors.
“We appreciate the support that you have given to them but I think it’s their right as they are working, they cannot be working for a full year without getting anything,” she said.
She said the government of South Sudan usually used to support all the peace mechanism in the country.
“It is not only CTSAMVM, it is all the mechanism of the peace that the government is trying to support.”
Last month, the Government of Japan also donated a sum of US$3.1 million to United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to help strengthen communities’ resilience to food shocks as South Sudan braces for tough times ahead.
CTSAMVM is the multinational body that monitors compliance with the South Sudan peace agreement signed in 2018. CTSAMVM has Monitoring and Verification Teams (MVTs) located in 9 of the most conflict affected areas of the country.
The MVTs patrol their areas of responsibility and gather information on potential violations of the agreement which they immediately report to their headquarters in Juba for further action.