December 3rd 2019 (Nyamilepedia) – South Sudan government has vowed that it will not extend the pre-transitional period again once the current extension end.
The government and a number of opposition groups signed a revitalized version of a 2015 peace agreement over a year ago to end the ongoing civil war which has killed thousands and displaced millions.
The agreement provided for a 36-month unity government that would be headed by incumbent President Salva Kiir and deputized by SPLM-IO leader Dr. Riek Machar Teny
The agreement however obliged the parties to resolve outstanding issues such as the security arrangements (formation of a unified army, police and national security) and determination of the number and boundaries of states.
Because those outstanding issues weren’t resolved, the parties couldn’t form what would be the ‘Reconstituted Transitional Government of National Unity (R-TGoNU)’ during two separate deadlines in May and November.
In a meeting in Uganda last month, Kiir and Machar agreed to extend the pre-transitional period for 100 days because pre-transitional arrangements viable for the formation of the unity government weren’t in place.
Tutkew Gatluak, the presidential advisor on security and head of the National Pre-Transitional Committee (NPTC) responsible for the implementation of the peace agreement, said the 100-day extension is only meant for security arrangements won’t be extended once it end in February 2020.
“All forces will be ready to report to cantonment areas and the extension will not be delayed further,” Gatluak was quoted by Anadolu.
For his part, presidential spokesperson Ateny Wek Ateny confirmed that the extension was requested by Machar. Despite the government being “ready to form the government. If there is any room for doubt, it should be addressed by the SPLM-IO.”
“If the SPLM-IO will not be able to come or accept the formation of a government within 100 days, then it is they [who will tell us what they want]. But on our part, we cannot extend it beyond 100 days.”
