Donors must resist Juba calls to fund South Sudan implementation process: PDM
January 25, 2019 (JUBA) – The non-signatory People’s Democratic Movement (PDM) as called on the international donors to abstain from funding the implementation of the revitalized peace agreement until a new deal is struck to address the route-causes of the conflict.
The South Sudanese government, as well as the IGAD-led Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC) and other mechanisms, have called for international support to the costly implementation of the peace pact which will last for three years.
The main donor countries the U.S., UK, and Norway (Troika countries) however stressed that the Juba must prove its commitment to the peace process and support “robust security and enforcement mechanisms, checks on executive and majority power, and the transparent use of resources for the benefit of all South Sudanese”.
However, the South Sudanese government dedicated only one hundred million South Sudanese pounds and one million dollars.
In a statement extended to Sudan Tribune, PDM leader Hakim Dario said that four months since the signing of the agreement the government of President Salva Kiir still refuses to fund the implementation of the security arrangements which is crucial for the transition period that should begin in May 2019.
He further said the government continue to appoint its supporters and spend huge amounts of money but allowed one million dollar and hundred million South Sudanese pounds (nearly a half million dollar) for the implementation process.
He further recalled that “the government dished out U$16,000,000 to its supporters in the parliament to buy personal cars, but now it says it has only U$1.6 million” for the implementation process.
“The PDM appeals to the donors and the international community to resist the call by the kleptocratic and ethnically-based government in Juba for financial support for the flawed R-ARCSS implementation,” he added.
“The flawed R-ARCSS needs to be re-opened to put the people first, address the root causes of conflict and re-make R-ARCSS for power sharing between the peoples of Equatoria, Upper Nile and Bahr al Ghazal,” he added.
On Wednesday, Foreign Deputy Minister Deng Dau Malek disclosed that the government effectively transferred one million dollars and 100 million pounds into the National Pre-Transitional Committee (NPTC)’s account.
Commenting on this announcement on Thursday, German Ambassador to South Sudan Jan Hendrik said the government has to pay more to ensure the needed implementation of the pre-transitional period measures including the security arrangements.
“This is a South Sudanese peace agreement. 100 million SSP and $1 million. This is very little money,” said Hendrik.
He further said that the government has to draw lessons from the past and to show more transparency in the management of the public funds.
(ST)