By Yiep Joseph
As the 2018 peace agreement faces series of challenges, stakeholders are urging the National Transitional Committee (NTC) to convene an inclusive meeting to chart a way forward.
Both political figures and activists have expressed that an urgent and inclusive dialogue could rescue the Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (ARCSS) from collapse.
In an exclusive interview, Dr. Gai Chol Paul, chairperson of the Coalition of Opposition Parties (COOP), called on South Sudan President Salva Kiir to organize an inclusive conference to discuss potential solutions to the prevailing challenges.
“We urge President Salva Kiir to immediately convene an inclusive conference with all stakeholders to deliberate on ways to prevent the country from regressing into war,” Dr. Gai stated.
He emphasized that the current peace framework is no longer sustainable, citing numerous challenges that require urgent attention from President Salva Kiir and his allies to get the peace implementation back on track.
“The current political situation is critical, as the main parties to the R-ARCSS have resumed fighting,” he noted.
Separately, Edmund Yakani, Executive Director of the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), echoed these calls, urging the NTC to hold a meeting to address the obstacles to peace.
In a statement, Yakani asserted that a solution to the current instability could only be achieved if all parties to the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS) come together to engage in discussion.
He appealed to the newly appointed NTC leadership, headed by Kuol Manyang, Senior Presidential Advisor, to call for an urgent inclusive meeting with the assistance of the Revitalized Joint Monitoring and Verification Mechanism (RJMEC).
This request follows the recent visit by the African Union’s Panel of the Wise and the President of Uganda, both of which have failed to achieve significant breakthroughs as tensions persist in various regions of the country.
Yakani commended the efforts of the visiting delegation and urged the NTC leadership to organize an inclusive R-ARCSS meeting to explore possible solutions to the ongoing challenges.
“I respectfully appeal to the newly reconstituted leadership of the National Transitional Committee (NTC), in partnership with RJMEC, to hold an urgent roundtable with R-ARCSS parties and stakeholders to deliberate on the future of the political transitional process in the country,” Yakani stated.
He acknowledged the recent confrontations among the parties and emphasized the urgent need to de-escalate the situation.