Addressing the 67thIGAD Council of Ministers meeting in Juba, RJMEC Interim Chairperson Ambassador Lt. Gen. Augostino Njoroge said, 

“I welcome the Parties’ request for a 6 month extension. I note that this extension was necessitated by the failure to implement critical agreed tasks in accordance with the timelines of the Peace Agreement.”

He urged the Council to consider the request, and take “concrete steps to ensure that the Parties implement the Agreement in letter and spirit”. 

The session was convened shortly following last week’s agreement of the Parties to the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS) to extend the Pre-Transitional Period by 6 months, effective 12 May 2019.

He said: “Our focus should now fall squarely on the leadership of the Parties to demonstrate clear political will and commitment to make sure that the security-related institutions and mechanisms of the Agreement deliver.”

Amb. Lt. Gen. Njoroge continued: “I also welcome the Parties’ request for IGAD’s Heads of State and Government to convene regular face-to-face meetings of the top leadership of the Parties to the R-ARCSS to review the status of implementation of the Agreement.”

Finally, the Interim Chair gave the following recommendations to the Council on the way forward:

1.    The Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) Commission to be reconstituted without any further delay; 

2.    ITGoNU to disburse the funds pledged to the National Pre-Transitional

Committee (NPTC) without any delay; 

3.    The regional and international community to extend additional support for the implementation of the Peace Agreement;

4.    The NPTC to establish clear deadlines for the implementation of tasks that do not require funding;

5.    The immediate demilitarization of civilian centres; 

6.    IGAD Member States and International Partners to second experts to support the various security mechanisms including Joint Defence Board (JDB), Joint Transitional Security Committee (JTSC), Joint Military Ceassrefire Commission (JMCC), and Strategic Defence and Security Review Board (SDSR-B); and 

7.    The Independent Boundaries Commission (IBC) to expedite its work and submit its report.