S. Sudan cabinet approves formation of peace implementation body

September 5, 2015 (JUBA) -The cabinet in South Sudan passed on Friday two administrative decisions, endorsing the formation of a high level committee to oversee implementation of the peace deal recently signed to end months of conflict in the nation.

Also unanimously approved was a resolution applauding President Salva Kiir’s decision to sign the compromise peace agreement with the armed opposition faction led by his former deputy-turned rebel leader, Riek Machar, despite raising serious reservations.

The same peace agreement was also signed by Pagan Amum, South Sudan’s ruling party (SPLM) secretary general, who represented the country’s former political detainees.

Analysts say Kiir was intending to reject the deal after allegedly coming under pressure from some government officials who felt some provisions in the accord interfered with the country’s sovereignty, but rescinded his decision following threats of sanctions.

South Sudan’s information minister, Michael Makuei Lueth told reporters that the cabinet had resolved to endorse an earlier resolution of the council of ministers chaired by the incumbent vice president, applauding the decision of the president to sign the deal and agreed to form a high level committee to oversee the implementation of the deal.

“The council has resolved that the president should appoint a high level committee to oversee the implementation of the agreement on the resolution of the conflict in the republic of South Sudan. The members said that the mistakes of the CPA (Comprehensive Peace Agreement) should not be repeated in this agreement. The CPA did not have a committee tasked to oversee the implementation”, he said on Friday.

Lueth, also the government spokesperson, urged the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) to facilitate the implementation of the deal, claiming the regional bloc had placed itself at the centre of the decision making process and implementation.

“IGAD should not drag their feet. They should come out and facilitate the implementation of this agreement because it has been designed in such a way that it places the IGAD at the centre of decision making process and in the implementation of the agreement itself unlike the CPA which gave the parties a complete responsibility to implement the agreement by themselves”, the minister told the state-owned SSTV.

Analysts view the call on IGAD to facilitate the implementation of the peace accord to mean government’s lack of financial resources to handle it, given the fact that it ahas been unable to secure loans to close a persistent monthly budget deficit of $200m.

(ST)