Ladies and Gentlemen of the Press,

1. I welcome you all to this Press Conference,

2. First and foremost, I take this opportunity to convey my heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families, to the Transitional Government of National Unity and the people of South Sudan on the passing of the Late Gen. James Ajongo Mawut, the fomer Chief of Defence Forces of the SPLA and the Late Gen. Andrew Makur Thou, former representative of Eminent Personalities to JMEC.

3. May the Almighty grant them and those other South Sudanese who have also lost their lives, eternal peace. I also want to take this opportunity to wish all the brave mothers and women of South Sudan, a happy Mother’s Day which we marked yesterday.

4. You will recall that our last JMEC Plenary was held in November 2017. We agreed to postpone the December Plenary to enable us all to focus our energies in preparation for the then forthcoming High-Level Revitalisation Forum scheduled to be convened in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

5. It was our expectation that the Revitalisation Forum would quickly conclude and agree on concrete measures to restore the permanent ceasefire, a fully inclusive security and governance arrangement, and revised timelines and implementation schedules.

6. You will further recall that Phase 1 of the HLRF was successfully convened in Addis Ababa Ethiopia from December 18-22, 2017 at which the parties and stakeholders signed an inclusive Agreement on the Cessation of Hostilities, Protection of Civilians and Humanitarian Access (COHA).

7. Again, it was our expectation then that the Forum would quickly reconvene in early January 2018 to conclude all the outstanding issues. This did not happen.

8. Instead, the second phase of the Forum took place from February 5th-16th 2018 and adjourned without conclusive outcomes. Following consultations with JMEC members here in Juba, we agreed that the plenary planned for February 27th be postponed in order to consult with the Parties and IGAD Leadership.

9. However, political developments within the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia delayed the consultations. I shall also brief the new Ethiopian Prime Minister, H.E. Dr. Abiy Ahmed, Chairperson of IGAD and seek further guidance.

Members of the Press,

10. JMEC has never suspended its work, nor has it abdicated its responsibility here in Juba. JMEC members have been at the forefront, individually and collectively supporting the HLRF process. We were mandated by the IGAD Heads of State in June 2017 to provide secretariat support to the IGAD Council of Ministers in this endeavor.

11. Consequently, it cannot be business as usual here in Juba during this period of revitalization. Our Secretariat is the core of the HLRF Taskforce, working with the IGAD Special Envoy for South Sudan. The revitalization of the implementation of the peace Agreement is and remains our top priority.

12. Let me reiterate JMEC’s position: the status quo is not inclusive and cannot bring sustainable peace. It was we who recommended to the IGAD summit that the peace Agreement must be revitalized to restore a permanent ceasefire and achieve inclusivity.

13. All our efforts, focus and energies therefore should be dedicated to the successful conclusion of the revitalisation process and to ensure a return to full and inclusive implementation of the Agreement.

14. The Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (CoHA), signed on 21st December 2017, has not had the desired impact of halting the violence. There have been serious violations of the CoHA since it came into force.

15. I continue to urge the parties to adhere to the CoHA. The parties must refrain from all acts of violence, cease hostilities and take immediate steps to investigate and punish those responsible within their ranks.

16. The humanitarian needs remain dire. About 4.2 million people remain displaced, 2.4 million of whom are in neighbouring countries. According to the UN, seven million people in South Sudan need humanitarian assistance. Food insecurity is widespread and it is estimated that 6.3 million people are severely food insecure.

17. The costs of the conflict to civilians continue to rise. A report by the Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan (dated March 2018) documents the perpetration of gross human rights abuses with impunity.

18. Denial of and obstruction to humanitarian access remains a constant issue. So far this year, three aid workers have been killed and 23 aid workers detained. These impediments to humanitarian access are a violation of the CoHA and the 2015 Peace Agreement. This is unacceptable.

Ladies and Gentlemen of the Press,

19. On the economy, the situation is not any better. The net disposable revenues available to finance the TGoNU’s 2017/18 budget have declined markedly due to repayment of arrears, resulting in an increased deficit. The agreed payment of arrears in oil production fees and tariffs is estimated at USD 290m. South Sudan presently delivers around two thirds of the government’s share of oil production to Sudan in kind, and despite a marked rise in international oil prices in the last six months, this situation results in a very small impact on the Government’s cash flow. Payments resulting from the previous years’ default will continue to weigh down on net revenues until the total amount of arrears are paid, around the middle of next year.

20. The exchange rate against the US dollar continues to deteriorate, despite government efforts at the start of this year to curb activity in the black market and increase the availability of foreign currency. Combined with the deficit budget financing, this has served to fuel inflation. The inflation rate increased in March 2018 to 160 per cent compared to the same time last year.

21. Some progress has been made by the TGoNU in phasing out the fuel subsidy scheme, but more remains to be done in order to realise the level of savings that can assist in reducing government salary and payment arrears. In addition, there continues to be a reduction, and in some cases elimination, of investment spending, which has severe negative impacts on prospects for growth.

22. Furthermore, spending cuts have come about through successive postponements of public sector salary payments, and that combined with the severe inflation adds to a deepening sense of anxiety and insecurity among large parts of society. We cannot therefore, overemphasize the need for the parties at the Forum to end this conflict and embark on programmes for economic recovery, reform and development.

Ladies and Gentlemen of the Press,

23. We have submitted the most recent JMEC Quarterly Report covering the period from

1st December 2017 to 31st March 2018. I hope everyone has received a copy. The report is also published on our website for all to read. It highlights our work in the last three months and our contribution to the High Level Revitalisation process.

24. The Secretariat has also conducted several outreach activities to the South Sudanese civil society and stakeholders. We have printed and disseminated over 1000 copies of the newly signed COHA 2017, continue to create awareness and provide updates on the ongoing agreement implementation and the revitalization process.

25. We continue to receive reports from the various institutions and mechanisms of the Agreement and support their work. We are mindful that all agreement institutions and mechanisms, including JMEC, shall be reconstituted in an inclusive manner, when the revitalisation process succeeds.

26. The NCAC completed the Constitutional Amendment Bill and submitted it to the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs on April 13th, 2017. The Bill was approved by the TGoNU Council of Ministers in November 2017. I am informed that at long last, the Amendment Bill was submitted by the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs to the TNLA for ratification on April 30th, 2018. I urge the Parliament to expedite the ratification.

27. The NCAC also completed drafting amendments to the five (5) security related laws and presented the Amendment Bills to the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs on 25th January 2018.

28. The NCAC is currently undertaking the review and amendment of two election– related laws, the Political Parties Act, 2012 and the National Elections Act, 2012. 

29. Finally, the continuation of Phase II of the High Level Revitalisation Forum is expected to reconvene in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia this week from May 17th to 21st.

30. This country has missed so many opportunities to make durable peace and we should not allow the HLRF to be squandered. This is the time for all parties at the forum to put the interest of the country first and make compromises necessary to achieve resolution of all the outstanding issues.

31. I want to appeal directly to the authorities here in Juba, and to all the opposition groups that you are all South Sudanese, and I urge you all to accommodate one another, to end this senseless violence.

Ladies and Gentlemen of the Press,

32. In conclusion, I want to observe and recommend the following:

a. The parties continue to wage a campaign of defiance and commit human rights abuses with impunity. This is unacceptable and I call on IGAD to make good its promise to hold spoilers accountable.

b. Full compliance and enforcement of the COHA 2017 is therefore critical to build confidence and provide an enabling environment during the revitalization process. This has not been the case for the past rounds of talks and I urge parties to cease all hostilities.

c. CTSAMM has been significantly strengthened under the COHA 2017 to report expeditiously to the IGAD Council of Ministers and JMEC simultaneously and to date we have received 19 reports for which action is required.

d.  The political and security situation remains uncertain. The humanitarian and economic situation remains dire. We risk further deterioration if urgent steps are not taken to end the conflict immediately. The country must embark on an inclusive peace process, as there can be no military solution to this conflict.

e. I commend all JMEC members, regional and international partners for their active support to JMEC and the revitalization process. I urge them all to

remain engaged, to ensure that the current momentum is sustained and peace is restored.

May God bless us all. Thank you.