-      President of the UN Security Council,

-     Distinguished Members of the Council,

-     Excellencies,

-     Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen.

Mr President,

1.    I congratulate you and the People’s Republic of China for assuming the presidency of the Security Council this month. I also would like to thank you for inviting the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC) to address this esteemed Council.

2.    RJMEC is the official oversight body responsible for monitoring and evaluating the status of implementation of the 2018 Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS).

3.    When RJMEC last briefed this august Council in August 2024, I informed you that the pace of implementation of the R-ARCSS has been generally slow, and that key tasks, such as the making of the permanent constitution, numerous elections-related preparatory tasks, and completion of the unification of forces, were still pending.

4.    Then, the following month, September 2024, pursuant to Article 8.4 of the R-ARCSS, the Parties to the Agreement, by consensus, agreed to extend the Transitional Period from 22 February 2025 to 22 February 2027, with elections rescheduled to December 2026.

5.    In just over two weeks from now as South Sudan enters the extended period in the implementation of the R-ARCSS, the same tasks still remain pending. 

6.    My briefing today builds on the previous RJMEC reports to this Council, and will highlight our assessment of the status of implementation of the Revitalised Peace Agreement.

Mr President,

7.    In terms of governance, the National Elections Commission (NEC) has completed its plans and has already opened offices in the ten states. However, financial constraints remain a hindrance to progress in the preparation for elections. Although, as previously reported, the Political Parties Council has already registered 29 political parties, the elections laws stipulate that Parties with armed forces cannot be registered until they relinquish their forces through the process of unification. This includes the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army in Opposition (SPLM/A-IO and others within the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA). This therefore underscores the need to hasten the unification of forces so that these Parties can participate in the elections. 

8.    The National Constitutional Amendment Committee (NCAC) and the Judicial Reform Committee (JRC) have both successfully delivered their mandates and concluded their work. The NCAC completed the review of 25 laws, whereas the JRC finalised its report with recommendations on appropriate judicial reforms and submitted it to the RTGoNU. The success of these institutions demonstrates that with funding availability, the Peace Agreement institutions and mechanisms can fully discharge their mandates.

9.    In terms of the Transitional Security Arrangements, the permanent ceasefire continues to hold, though recent skirmishes in Western Equatoria State between the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) and SPLM/A-IO over the removal of illegal checkpoints are concerning. CTSAMVM has been tasked to investigate and forward the report to RJMEC. There has been no change in the unification of forces, with approximately 55,000 of the 83,000 Phase 1 Unified Forces trained and graduated, and eight battalions (around 6,000 troops) of the army component deployed, with the remainder still not yet deployed. Persistent levels of intercommunal violence in some parts of the country continue to create disruption, and anxiety and is unsettling.

10.   Further, the Strategic Defence and Security Review Board completed its review and validation of all five strategic policy and security review frameworks, which now await presentation to the Presidency for endorsement.

11.   In regard to the Tumaini Initiative, mediation talks ongoing in Nairobi, I would like to commend H.E. President Salva Kiir Mayardit and H.E. President Dr William Samoei Ruto for this important Initiative. The people of South Sudan are looking forward to a positive outcome of these talks and hoping that it will bring practical and enhanced transformative approaches in addressing the root causes of conflict, and will hasten the implementation of the Peace Agreement. It is hoped that the parties to the talks will remain focused and maintain a spirit of compromise, cooperation and consensus, in order to achieve a more inclusive peace process that will lead to the country’s first ever elections and usher in a new dispensation of democratic governance underpinned by the rule of law in the post-election phase.

12.   On the humanitarian front, service delivery across the country remains very low, as resources continue to dwindle and budgets are overstretched. The Special Reconstruction Fund and its Board set out in the Revitalised Agreement are not yet established. The impact of the Sudan conflict continues to exacerbate the humanitarian situation, and has caused a huge influx of returnees and refugees in South Sudan, a number which now stands over 1 million. Widespread flooding is also persistent.

13.   On Resource, Economic and Financial Management, the Public Financial Management Oversight Committee continues to show steady commitment to economic reforms, notably in its improved monitoring of public spending of the national budget, and of revenue collection, especially non-oil revenue. Also, efforts are ongoing to reform the Bank of South Sudan. These reforms are meant to promote financial stability by legally regulating all financial institutions to foster financial intermediation. 

14.   Oil, the country’s main source of foreign earnings was disrupted in the second quarter of 2024 because of the conflict in the Republic of Sudan. The main pipeline transporting about 60% of crude to Port Sudan that was damaged is yet to be repaired. Consequently, revenue earnings fell considerably. 

15.   On Transitional Justice, slow progress is being made. Legislation for the Commission for Truth Reconciliation and Healing (CTRH), a Compensation and Reparation Authority (CRA) have been enacted. The process of operationalising these mechanisms is underway following approval of a Cabinet Memorandum by the Council of Ministers in January 2025 for their establishment. Regarding the CTRH, the African Union Commission and UNMISS are working together in the recruitment of 3 out of its 7 Commissioners. These are critical steps in driving the processes of national healing and reconciliation. In terms of the Hybrid Court for South Sudan (HCSS), no progress has been made. All three institutions should have been established by now, according to the Revitalised Agreement.

16.   Regarding the permanent constitution-making process, the National Constitutional Review Commission (NCRC) formed sub-committees to conduct nationwide civic education and public consultations. However, the progress in implementation of these critical processes is delayed due to lack of resources.

    Mr President,

17.   Familiar challenges facing the implementation of the Revitalised Peace Agreement persist, including low levels of political will and trust deficit among the Parties to the Agreement, and lack of predictable funding. Furthermore, capacity gaps and continued levels of intercommunal violence in the states slow the progress in implementation.

18.   However, with the extended Transitional Period due to begin in just over two weeks, key immediate requirements are the demonstration of political will and provision of funding for the Agreement institutions and mechanisms, the harmonisation of the work plans of the National Elections Commission and National Constitutional Review Commission, and completion of the unification of forces. Meanwhile, it is important to fully establish the Commission for Truth, Reconciliation and Healing. It is therefore critical that the activities on the part of the RTGoNU are actively energized and injected with a sense of urgency, as the new extended period commences on 23 February 2025.

19.   I, therefore, appeal to this Council to remain seized of the peace process in South Sudan, to consider conducting a visit to show solidarity with the RTGoNU as it enters this critical phase, and to encourage the international community to continue to mobilise resources and political support to help South Sudan achieve its first democratic elections in December 2026.

I Thank You!