March 18th 2019 (Nyamilepedia) – South Sudanese people are skeptical about the formation of the revitalized transitional government of national unity in May 2019 according to a survey conducted by the Nyamilepedia.
Parties to the South Sudan conflict in September 2018 signed a revitalized version of a 2015 peace agreement in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa to end the ongoing brutal civil war in the world’s youngest nation.
The agreement stated that a unity government be formed eight months after its signing in Addis Ababa which came months following tough negotiation between the desperate parties who then had only until August 5th 2019 to agree on deal.
During the eight-month pre-transitional period, the parties were supposed to completed necessary arrangement needed in place before the revitalized transitional government could be in formed.
However, these arrangements which include the issue of the states and their tribal borders as well as security arrangement which include the amalgamation of forces are yet to be completed.
On Thursday, former South Sudan’s foreign minister, Deng Alor Kuol who is also the leader of the FDs delegation in Juba and a member of the NPTC delegation that visited Egypt last week told journalists in the capital Cairo that he is sure that the revitalized unity “government will be formed by May 2019.”
Days before this, Angelina Teny, the Chairperson of the Strategic Defense and Security Review Board – which is handling the security sector transformation and policy development to expedite the process of cantonment of forces as enshrined in the peace accord – said there is likelihood that the gov’t will not be formed by May.
As a Point Of Discussion, the Nyamilepedia asked South Sudanese social media users on what they think over the unity government formation by May 2019.
Most of those who participated said they are skeptical that the government will be formed in May 2019 given the delay in some pre-transitional period preparations.
One commentator identified as Gatmai Banypiny said he as a matter of fact, the unity government will not be formed in May given the absence of necessary arrangements which include the demilitarization of main towns and civilian centers.
“The Transitional Government of National Unity will not be formed in May because tribal borders have not been identified as provided for in the peace agreement. This is supposed to be done before the formation of unity government,” Banypiny said.
“The demilitarization of towns like Juba, Malakal, Bentiu, Wau and many more is yet to be done while we remain with less than two month. So its impossible to think of unity government formation in May,” he added.
Ter Manyang Gatwech, a civil society advocate based in Uganda criticized Deng Alor who insisted that the unity government will be formed in May saying he wonders whether Alor does not understand the alarming challenges in faced by the peace implementation.
“He (Alor) does not understand the challenges of the peace implementation. Therefore , I don’t think the Unity Government will be form in May,” he said.Â
However, Kuol Deim Kuol, a senior government official working for the country’s ministry of defense said he agrees with Alor because the parties have agreed to speed up the training of the 700 VIP protection unit and that the UK and USA who were previously opposed to the funding of the agreement have agreed to.
“I concurred with honorable Deng Alor because the Joint Defense Board (JDB) has agreed on new arrangements for the security guards of the leaders of the new government and USA and UK have suddenly decided to support the implementation of the Agreement financially with very strict monitoring and in some cases donating items in kind,” he said. Â
