May 13, 2020 (Nyamilepedia) – South Sudan’s Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (R-JMEC) calls on IGAD to step in and address the states allocation deadlock.
Amb. Augostino Njoroge, the chairperson of the R-JMEC, revealed in his latest letter to the IGAD Chairspon and the Sudanese Prime Minister, H.E. Abdalla Hamdok, that the South Sudanese parties have failed to resolve the issue of states and establishment of the local government
On May 7th, the Minister in the office of the President announced that the parties have agreed on a sharing formula that would give the government six states and the SPLM/A-IO another three states.
In reaction, Machar said the meeting, which excluded the Other Political Parties (OPP), another alliance of political parties in Juba which is to take one governor based on the 2018 peace deal, did not resolve the matter and that IGAD should intervene.
In his letter, Gen. Njoroge said that the rejection of Kiir’s decision by other signatories to the peace deal was an “evident that the Parties have failed to resolve the deadlock.”
Gen. Njoroge reiterates that he has received complaints from several South Sudan’s political parties including the SPLM-IO protesting Kiir’s decision and urged the IGAD to take urgent measures to address the states stalemate.
“I have received three letters of complaint from H.E. Dr. Riek Machar Teny, First Vice President and Chairman of the SPLM/A-IO dated 7th May 2020 (….), Dr. Lam Akol Ajawin, Chairman of National Democratic Movement, a party within the SSOA dated 8th May 2020 (….) and Kornelio Kon Ngu, Chairman of National Alliance of Political Parties, a party within the OPP dated 7th May 2020 (…). In addition, the Other Political Parties (OPP) issued a press release protesting the above decision of the RTGONU Presidency dated 8th May 2020,” Njoroge wrote in the letter dated May 9th.
“I hereby, pursuant to Article 7.11 of the R-ARCSS, refer this matter to the IGAD Heads of State and Government, as guarantors to the R-ARCSS to be seized of the matter and to take all necessary measures to overcome this deadlock on the allocation of the Ten (10) States among the Parties,” he added.
According to Amb. Njoroge, the IGAD resolution should also include “which party takes which states, based on Article 1.16.4 of the R-ARCSS. This is critical and urgent to ensure continued and smooth implementation of the R-ARCSS in letter, spirit and in accordance with the Agreement timelines.”
