May 1st 2019 (Nyamilepedia) – The Troika countries – Norway, the United Kingdom, and the United States – on Tuesday urged South Sudan parties to the revitalized peace agreement to reach consensus on whether to form or delay the formation of the Transitional Government of National Unity (TGONU) on May 12th.
South Sudan government, SPLM-IO, South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) and other opposition groups in September 2018 signed a revitalized peace agreement in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa to end the ongoing civil war.
Based on the agreement, the parties agreed to form a unity government that would run the country for a transitional period of thirty-six months (three years). That three-year transitional period would be preceded by a eight-month pre-transitional period to allow for preparations necessary before it commence.
However, as blow to the implementation of the peace agreement, the parties co-operating in a body known as National Pre-Transitional Period (NPTC) failed to implement much much of their mandate. The NPTC is tasked to work out preparations necessary before the transitional government is formed.
While most of opposition groups call for extension of the pre-transitional period for some months, the government insists on forming the unity government on time as scheduled arguing that the delay would attract worries among the people of South Sudan on the commitment of the parties to peace agreement implementation.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Troika said – to avoid tensions and negative effects on the implementation of the revitalized peace agreement – the parties should reach agreement on whether the unity government should be formed as scheduled or delayed.
“Any decision on forming the transitional government as scheduled or delaying to a later date should be made through consensus of the parties,” the Troika said in a statement seen by the Nyamilepedia. “If the parties come to a consensus that a delay is required, they should develop an achievable plan to resolve outstanding issues and move forward in a defined time-frame.”
The powerful countries further said the delay in the formation of the government should not be an open-ended so that it do not affect key provisions of the agreement such as conducting elections as stipulated in the agreement.
“An open-ended delay could slow momentum and put the peace process at risk. Regardless of a delay in the formation of the transitional government, elections should be held by March 13, 2022, as originally scheduled under the R-ARCSS,” they said in the statement.
