Author: Madrama James | Published: 4 hours in the past
Civil society activists give their opinions on newest extension of the transitional authorities. (-)
A bunch of civil society organizations are demanding political accountability from signatories to 2018 peace settlement, because the transitional authorities commences its prolonged two-year mandate till early 2027.
Cabinet Minister Dr. Martin Elia Lomuro introduced in an announcement on February 21 that the transitional interval had formally been prolonged efficient from the following day.
Dr. Lomuro mentioned political leaders agreed to increase the federal government to supply time for key reforms together with the drafting of a everlasting structure, implementation of the safety sector reforms and ample electoral preparations.
In a response, Edmund Yakani, Executive Director of Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), mentioned residents have lowly welcomed the extension attributable to restricted political dedication and sincerity among the many leaders.
“We feel that this time around we need to demand political accountability from our leaders in the government and the leaders of the party signatories to R-ACRSS because this is the fourth extension of the transitional period,” Yakani mentioned.
“The newly extended transitional period, 2025, 2027 was very lowly welcomed by the citizens due to the experience of previous transitional periods, which resulted to the postponement of the scheduled national general elections and as you are aware I said this the fourth one almost twice the elections were a bit postponed.”
According to the brand new timeline, the transitional interval is anticipated to finish with elections in December 2026 and a newly elected authorities in February 2027.
Lona Merekaje, Executive Director of South Sudan Democratic Engagement, Monitoring, and Observation Program, lamented lack of political responsiveness from the leaders to implement the 2018 peace settlement.
“The extensions are not necessarily our interest, but we are cornered because of lack of their responsiveness or lack of leadership from their side to make sure that we implement what is set for the transitional period,” Ms. Merekaje mentioned.
“It’s our hope and belief that this time around, they are able to implement in as much as we didn’t agree for them to have the extension. We hope that they will be true to their own. words and their own convictions.”
“Otherwise, we have completely lost interest, we have completely lost trust, and our thinking is that they’re just running the country as they wish. And as I said earlier, they’re running the country as a private member’s club. This must stop.”
For his half, Bol Deng Bol, Executive Director of Intrepid South Sudan, urged the peace events forming the transitional authorities to show dedication this time so as usher the nation to lasting peace and democracy.
“The tradition of the R-ACRSS always continuing to extend and avoiding to end the whole transition with the democratic elections is something very unfortunate that South Sudanese have to deal with while having no choice in it,” he mentioned.
“This is because that agreement has given the parties that have signed it almost the whole responsibility to decide whether to extend it again, whether to incorporate other groups or not. So, it is really unfortunate that the parties are very much bent on perpetual expansion of the same agreement.”
Troika diplomats in South Sudan have additional urged the transitional authorities to take urgent steps to implement important provisions within the 2018 peace deal, warning “there no time to waste” if the nation has any intention of transitioning to democracy.
The envoys of U.S., UK, and Norway pointed to lack of great or consequential progress by 2018 peace events in implementing their peace commitments, in a joint assertion on the thirty ninth plenary assembly of peace monitoring physique.
They mentioned the announcement of one other extension in September 2024 was a disappointment. However, the envoys added it was not a shock after years of repeated lack of breakthrough on steps pledged within the roadmap drafted in 2022.