S. Sudan: JMEC calls for a united front in seeking peace

September 16, 2017 (JUBA) – The Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC), the body overseeing the implementation of South Sudan’s 2015 peace accord has reiterated its call for a unified regional, continental and global approach towards the full implementation of the deal signed in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Speaking during a visit by a delegation of the Pan-African Members of Parliament in Juba yesterday, JMEC Chief of Staff, Ambassador Berhanu Kebede said the full implementation of the Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict of South Sudan (ARCSS) holds the key to peace and stability in the country.

“Any effort made by the international community should feed into the successful implementation of the agreement,” said Kebede.

He also briefed members of the Pan-African Parliament on the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD)-led High Level Revitalization Forum and the regional efforts, which are all geared towards bringing the country’s warring parties, including the estranged groups towards inclusive implementation of the ARCSS.

“This is a rich country that can come out of this quagmire if only peace is restored. There are 6 million people that are now food insecure in a country that is supposed to be the food basket of the region,” he said.

“Warring parties should be ready to resolve their differences politically and accommodate one another for peace to endure in this country,” he said.

JMEC was established by terms decreed under Chapter Seven of the Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan, signed on 17, August 2015 in Ethiopia.

However, under the terms of the agreement, JMEC is reportedly responsible for monitoring, overseeing and supporting the implementation of the agreement and the mandate and tasks of the Transitional Government of National Unity (TGoNU), including adherence of the parties to agreed timelines and schedules and in the event of non-compliance, shall recommend appropriate corrective action to the TGoNU.

JMEC is also responsible for overseeing the work of the Ceasefire and Transitional Security Monitoring Mechanism (CTSAMM), Economic and Financial Management Authority (EFMA), and other transitional institutions created by the 2015 agreement.

The South Sudanese conflict has killed tens of thousands and displaced more than 2 million ever since it broke out in December 2013 following disagreements in the country’s ruling party (SPLM).

(ST)