By Yiep Joseph
Executive Director of the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), Edmund Yakani, has called on the Presidency to have an implementable decision as roadmap comes to an end.
Yakani raised concern as the country is few days to the end of the roadmap, which the parties to the peace agreement failed to implement as promised.
This week, the high-level committee, assessing the status of peace implementation finalized its work.
The committee came up with recommendations which will be submitted to the Presidency to decide whether to have an election or extend the roadmap for another period.
According to the statement seen by this outlet, Yakani urged the Presidency, which consists of President Salva Kiir, First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar, and other Vice Presidents to act on time.
“My appeal to the presidency: an urgent decision is required from you, and the decision must be genuine,” he said.
“Take responsibility to really make decisions that create an implementable political framework for transitioning the country from current political instability to stability,” he added, urging the leaders to make decisions that could be implemented instead of promises that can not be achieved.
“Previously, the transitional period was extended for 24 months with the intention of holding elections, and now it is proven that politicians are unable to create a conducive environment to hold the election,” he said.
The activist urged the leaders to define a clear purpose should there be another extension.
“Any further extension, what will be its purpose, and what will you name it after you have named the roadmap as an extension?” he said.
Yakani further called on the Presidency to make decisions in line with the ongoing Nairobi talks with hope to achieve inclusive peace in the country.
He reiterated that the Tumaini peace process in Nairobi remains an important framework for the political transition, calling on the leadership to embrace inter-party dialogue to harmonize the process’s outcomes with the ongoing review of the R-ARCSS.
South Sudan is scheduled to hold elections in December this year as the peace agreement expires on February 22, 2025, but there are several challenges facing this process, including security concerns, logistical hurdles, funding shortages, political instability, delays in legal reforms, voter registration issues, and a severe humanitarian crisis.