Speaking during its 20thmonthly meeting held in Juba yesterday, Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC) Interim Chairperson Maj. Gen. Charles Tai Gituai said: 

“We are now past the mid-way mark of the timeline of the Transitional Period. The Parties are far behind schedule in implementation of key tasks. As we close the year 2021, therefore, we need clarity from the Revitalised Government of National Unity (RTGoNU) on its plan for the implementation of the outstanding tasks in the coming 14 months.” 

“It is now over two months since the Presidency directed the deployment of three assessment teams to training centers in preparation for the graduation of Phase 1 of the NUF (Necessary Unified Force). It is disheartening to see that this directive of the Presidency has not been carried out,” he added. 

In his address, Maj. Gen. Gituai further expressed concerns that defections of senior military officials mainly from the SPLA-IO (Sudan People's Liberation Movement-in-Opposition) to the SSPDF (South Sudan Peoples Defence Forces), “erode trust amongst the two parties and public confidence in the peace process.”

Regarding the living conditions of cantonmentsites and training centers, Maj. Gen. Gituai said the situation is “dire and that the occupants continue to abandon the sites in search of food and other essentials for survival.” 

“The situation has undermined the morale of security forces cantoned or in training and risks eroding their trust in the political leadership of the country,” he said. 

“I would like to remind us that this is the last meeting before we break for Christmas and the New Year. I hope that we will return with concrete plans and renewed vigour and determination to bring durable peace, stability and prosperity to the people and country of South Sudan,” he concluded.