By Yiep Joseph
A civil society activist has urged the government and the National Audit Chamber to launch an immediate audit of the dissolved National Transitional Committee (NTC) to ensure transparency in utilization of peace funds.
The call for an audit comes on the heels of the recent reconstitution of the NTC, a body tasked with the implementation of the 2018 revitalized peace agreement.
President Salva Kiir relieved Tut Gatluak of his duties as both NTC chairperson and security advisor, appointing senior advisor Kuol Manyang as his successor.
Gatluak’s tenure as NTC chairperson was marked by significant criticism, with some government officials even calling for an independent audit.
Despite numerous failures to implement the peace agreement, the government has consistently failed to conduct a thorough audit of the NTC’s activities.
In a statement, Ter Manyang, Executive Director of The Center for Peace and Advocacy (CPA), said continuous replacement with no accountability encourages mismanagement of resources, including the peace fund.
He claimed that the previous leadership had mismanaged the fund meant for the peace agreement and should not go free without auditing.
“The National Transitional Committee has misappropriated funding from donors without a single audit in the four years since the signing of the R-ARCSS on September 12, 2018, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia,” Ter said.
He urged the government to ensure that everyone is made accountable to gain win trust of the donors and the citizens.
The activist expressed that when the former is audited, it will set an example for the new leadership capable of achieving peace.
“The new members will simply pick up where their former colleagues left off. It’s a continuation of the same work, maintaining the same spirit without introducing a new approach, he said.
He appealed to the new members to put self-interest aside to ensure that the peace agreement is achieved.
“This committee is responsible for implementing the R-ARCSS in the country. However, it has struggled to carry out its activities on time due to conflicting interests that hinder progress, he said.
On Friday, President Salva Kiir reconstituted the NTC which is now led by Gen. Kuol Manyang Juuk.
Under the leadership of the former Chair, Tut Kew Gatluak, the body was criticized for failing to perform its tasks as stipulated in the Agreement.
Early this year, expressed that NTC never had an audit report while donors continue to give funds a lot, and still, there is no proper implementation of the peace agreement.
“The body never had an audit report from 2019 to 2024. Donors put in a lot of money, but it seems the money doesn’t go directly into those activities to be executed,” he claimed.
He urged for serious monitoring of the NTC, stating that the organization has consistently failed to fulfil its responsibilities as outlined in the peace agreement.
Meanwhile, in a separate event in September 2024, stakeholders in South Sudan’s peace agreement called on the Presidency to bring new faces to the National Transitional Committee (NTC).
During a security mechanism meeting in Juba, Gen. Bior Leek, a member of the Former Detainees (FDs), called on the presidency to restructure the NTC to avoid further disappointment in peace implementation.
Bior’s concern came in response to the extension of the transition government for two years after the peace parties failed to implement the 2022 peace roadmap.
“I urge the presidency to look into the NTC and reform it. Bring those who are serious about the implementation so that the people of this country will trust us,” Bior said.
“I urge the government, president, and vice presidents to look into those who are tasked with monitoring the agreement, change the personalities, and bring new faces to implement,” he said.
Bior claimed that, should the government continue with the previous members in the committee, the implementation would continue to fail.
“But once we stick with those people previously in the NTC, I think it will be zero work come 2026,” he added.