HonourableMinisters, 

Excellencies, 

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good morning.

1.   I wish to start my statement by expressing profound sorrow at the passing on of H.E Chris Mburu the Kenyan ambassador to South Sudan, on Sunday 16thFebruary. On behalf of RJMEC, I wish to extend our condolences to his family, friends, the government and people of the Republic of Kenya. The RJMEC family has indeed lost an exemplary member, who devoted his time supporting the RJMEC in the discharge of its mandate. Wewill dearly miss him.

2.  I would like to commend H.E Salva Kiir Mayardit President of the Republic of South Sudan for the compromise he made on the 15thof February to revert the number of States to 10 as outlined in his letter to IGAD dated 15thFebruary 2020. In that regard, I applaud the leadership of IGAD and the regional Special Envoys for the role they played in helping the Parties to break the deadlock on the number and boundaries of states.  I urge the people of South Sudan, to welcome this decision, which will allow the formation of the RTGoNU in a timely manner and on a solid foundation.

3.  I further commend the Transitional National Legislative Assembly for ratifying the Constitutional Amendments Bill No. 6 (2020) as amended, and I am pleased to report that it has already been assented to by the President of the Republic of South Sudan. The Amended Constitution now provides the legal basis for the formation of the RTGoNU.

4.   The 100 days extension of the Pre-Transitional period ends on the 21stof February, and this meeting is the final opportunity to truly take stock of the status of implementation. At our last meeting, I informed you of my concern that two critical Pre-Transitional tasks were still outstanding i.e. the number of states and their boundaries as well as the training and redeployment of the Necessary Unified Forces. I am pleased to report that with the issue of the number of states and their boundaries resolved, we are now left with that of the unification of forces.

5.   In my statement today, I will highlight the status of implementation of the pending Pre-Transitional tasks, since our last monthly meeting, relating to the security arrangements, outline some recurring issues, and I will then conclude with my recommendations on the way forward. 

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen

6.   Firstly, on the unification of forces, CTSAMVM reports that significant progress has been made in moving personnel to the designated Training Centres, where at least 40,000 troops are currently assembled. Preliminary training activities are ongoing. So too is screening, which I witnessed recently in Rajaf Training Centre. Furthermore, at the Gorom training centre, I witnessed the assembly of 3339 trainees for the VIP Protection Force. However,training in accordance with the unification module is yet to start. JTSC should release this training module with immediate effect. 

7.   The unification process has been impeded by challenges including insufficient food, vehicles, medicines, shelter, and storage for food and weapons, and the lack of resources to cater for the special needs of female combatants and instructors. That said, I understand conditions across all the Training Centres are changing for the better. I expect to hear shortly from the JTSC on the status of screening and training, and in particular, I would like to hear when the training will commence in conformity with the unification module. 

8.   It is worth pointing out that overall, I found the morale and discipline among the trainees to be commendably high, in contrast to the conditions and the challenges at the training centres, which I mentioned earlier. Provision of basic needs such as clean water, soap, dignity packs, and the digging of pit latrines would go a long way towards improving the overall health and wellbeing of the trainees.  I urge the mechanisms responsible to address these challenges.  

9.   I am also concerned that cantonment sites may be closed or abandoned prior to the DDR transit sites being established. There must be a plan in place to deal with those personnel who fail to pass screening, those who do not complete training, or elect to go for reintegration into their communities.  At this stage it is not clear how this is going to be managed. I expect to receive an update from the JDB and the DDR Commission in this regard.

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen

10.    While I am pleased to note that the permanent ceasefire continues to hold across the country, I am concerned about the occupation of 22 civilian buildings by the government forces. In that regard, I have written to the Chief of Defense Forces of the SSPDF reminding him that this is a violation of the R-ARCSS and requested him to ensure that all the occupied civilian buildings are vacated immediately. I expect to hear from the CDF at this meeting about his efforts to comply with this requirement.

11.       As many of us may know, there have been discussions in Rome under the auspices of the Sant’Egidio organisation with a view to bring the hold-out groups into the peace process. It was agreed at the most recent Rome meeting to allow the South Sudan Opposition Movements Alliance (SSOMA) to become a member of CTSAMVM and to continue political dialogue under the auspices of Sant’Egidio and IGAD.We should welcome this development. 

12.       I am pleased to say that the issue of Maiwut clashes has now been resolved, with the Parties to the conflict agreeing to a permanent ceasefire and committing to a peaceful resolution. CTSAMVM is however verifying details of violations during the conflict and will submit a report to IGAD and to RJMEC in due course.

13.       In my address to the Council of Ministers on the 8thof February, I appealed that the region, the international community, Partners and Friends of South Sudan speak with one voice in support of the peace process in South Sudan. I am pleased to see that this call was heeded in the IGAD Heads of State and Government communiqué of 9thFebruary, and I urge all of us to take this appeal seriously.  

14.       Finally, it is clear that all must prepare for the formation of R-TGoNU. Accordingly, I would like to highlight the fact that in addition to the unification of forces mentioned previously, the following important Pre-Transitional tasks, have not yet been completed.

a)   enactment by the TNLA of the security laws;  

b)  submission of the Parties nominees for the Transitional National Legislative Assembly to the NCAC; and

c)   allocation of ministerial portfolios to the various Parties. 

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen

15.       On the 18thof February, I and the IGAD Special Envoy for South Sudan, Amb Wais, were invited to Khartoum by IGAD Chairperson for consultations. We had the opportunity to discuss recent developments in the implementation of the R-ARCSS, and the current situation and necessary preparatory steps towards the formation of the RTGoNU.

 16.       I can report that:

a.    Sudan as the IGAD Chair is fully seized of the situation in South Sudan and is discussing with other IGAD leaders on necessary steps to support the immediate formation of RTGoNU;

b.   The President of Sudan has promised to continue supporting the implementation of the Peace Agreement; and 

c.    The Chairman and the other IGAD leaders are in the process of preparing a roadmap towards the formation of the RTGoNU. The proposed roadmap will highlight key tasks, and necessary steps towards the formation of the RTGoNU as provided for in the Agreement. We hope to receive this roadmap as soon as it is ready.

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen

17.       I would like to close with my recommendations for the way forward. 

a)   that the unification of forces continues, with particular emphasis on expediting screening, training and redeployment of the Necessary Unified Forces;

b)  ensure that the administration for trainees and logistics support to the training centres is improved;

c)   that the DDR Commission is empowered and funded so as to effectively deliver on its mandate;  

d)  that the Government of the Republic of South Sudanprovide the necessary funding to the Security Mechanisms, to enable continued progress in the unification of forces, subject to the principles of transparency and accountability;  

e)   that the international community, Partners and Friends of South Sudan continue to support the full implementation of the Revitalized Peace Agreement; and

f)    that the region, the international community, Partners and Friends of South Sudan speak with one voice in support of the peace process.

18.       In closing, and as we are approaching the date for the establishment of the RTGoNU, I call on the Parties to capitalise on the gains made since the signing of the R-ARCSS on the 12thSeptember 2018, and continue to build towards a lasting and sustainable peace in South Sudan.

19.       I wish you fruitful deliberations.

Thank you.

STATEMENT BY H.E. AMB. LT. GEN. AUGOSTINO S.K. NJOROGE,

INTERIM CHAIRPERSON, RJMEC,

TO THE 12th RJMEC MONTHLY MEETING.

TUESDAY, 17THDECEMBER 2019

JUBA, SOUTH SUDAN

 HonourableMinisters, 

Excellencies, 

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good morning.

1.   I welcome all of you to the 12th RJMEC meeting. As you are all aware, there has been a change in the Chairmanship of IGAD, and I would like to take this early opportunity to congratulate the Republic of Sudan on the assumption of the Chairmanship. I wish the people and the government every success in the discharge of this responsibility. I would also like to join the IGAD Heads of State and Government in appreciating and thanking the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia for the pivotal role it played in steering and spearheading the work of IGAD as the Chair for over a decade. 

2.   I also congratulate H.E. Dr. Workneh Gebeyehu on his appointment as the new Executive Secretary of IGAD, and sincerely thank H.E. Ambassador Mahboub Maalim, the former Executive Secretary of IGAD, for his services to the region.

3.   Now to the business at hand. It is only three weeks ago since we last met, but such is the importance of this current period in the implementation of the R-ARCSS that it is imperative for us to meet and take stock sooner rather than later. This is also the last time we will meet before the mid-term review, a point that represents the half-way mark of the 100 days extension period that began on 12thNovember 2019. This is going to be our last meeting of the year 2019. It is deeply regrettable that implementation of the activities of the Pre-Transitional period have failed to live up to expectation.

4.   My statement will highlight the situation regarding implementation since our last monthly meeting. I will then conclude with my recommendations on the way forward.  

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, 

5.   As I made it clear in my previous public statements, including to this meeting, to the IGAD Council of Ministers and to the African Union Peace and Security Council, that there are two key pending issues critical to the successful implementation of the Pre-Transitional activities and the establishment of the RTGoNU on a solid foundation. These are the unification of necessary forces and the resolution of the number of States and their boundaries. I continue to say that their timely implementation requires political will, leadership and predictable release of the necessary funding.

6.   Firstly, on funding; I am informed that the mechanisms received some funds on Friday 13thDecember, and this is welcome. I request the NPTC to explain the criteria of the allocations to the mechanisms. I note, however, that as a consequence of this late release of funds, a lot of time has already been lost and there is no significant progress as yet in the implementation of the critical pending Pre-Transitional tasks that I can mention today. This, of course, is very disappointing. However, as RJMEC Chair, I am still confident that the mechanisms will make significant progress within the remaining 65 days. 

7.   I am aware that the NPTC has allocated some funds to support the representatives of the Agreement Parties within the RJMEC, which is welcome. It is my expectation that the government will continue to release funds in a timely manner to the NPTC throughout the extension period. Furthermore, I also expect that the issues of accountability and transparency will be addressed.

8.   Secondly, the unification of forces. As a result of the delay in the disbursement of funds, I must state that there has not been any meaningful progress to report on. To be specific, no screening, no selection and no training has taken place. In my last statement, I recommended that food and supplies, including the in-kind support stored in Juba, be sent to cantonment sites, and I would like the JMCC to report on whether this has been done. 

9.   Following on from last month’s security workshop, some planning has been taking place, and I understand that the refined plans of action that each mechanism developed were submitted to the NPTC. These were to be reviewed and consolidated, and I would request the NPTC to present the integrated plan. 

10.  The weekly coordination meetings of the mechanisms and the NPTC, that were agreed on at the security workshop have not been taking place, and I would like to know why? Despite my repeated appeal, 25 civilian centres continue to be occupied by the forces, 24 by the SSPDF, and 1 by the SPLM/A-IO. I expect CTSAMVM to give further details in its report. 

11.  Thirdly, the issue of the number of states and their boundaries. I was pleased that the IGAD Special Envoy for South Sudan convened a meeting of the Parties to resolve the issue of the number of states and their boundaries. This meeting was held over a three-day period in Juba from 2nd – 4th December 2019. I wish to commend H.E. David Mabuza, the Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa, for demonstrating leadership as he chaired the meeting. I also appreciate the input of H.E. Stephen Kolonzo Musyoka of Kenya. The meeting narrowed the gaps between the positions of the Parties, and paved the way for possible compromise. I look forward to its reconvening in the near future. I urge the leadership of the Parties to expedite their deliberations on this matter and reach a compromise.

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

12.  As you may recall, the Tripartite summit in Entebbe, Uganda, agreed on a mechanism to help expedite the implementation of the security arrangements of the Pre-Transitional period. This mechanism is now referred to as the Security Supervision Mechanism (SSM). Its Terms of Reference are ready, and have been submitted for approval by the Guarantors. I would kindly ask the IGAD Special Envoy’s Representative to this meeting to update us on the mechanism’s progress to date, including the modalities of how it will function and its plans for conducting the mid-term review.   

13.   I welcome the visit of Dr Riek Machar to Juba which began last week, and the meetings he held with H.E. Salva Kiir, President of the Republic of South Sudan, and other stakeholders. Dr Machar’s presence in Juba contributes in progressing the implementation of the Agreement, especially in resolving outstanding issues and on building further confidence amongst the Parties. I call upon the key principals to the Agreement to continue their engagement to ensure that progress is made.

14.  On the humanitarian situation, as you are aware there has been flooding in many parts of the country, leading to the loss of life and property.  I therefore want to offer my sympathies to those affected by the flooding, and I appeal for urgent humanitarian assistance.

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, 

15.  We now have only 65 days left of the 100 days extension. Time has been lost for various reasons, including delay in funding. Much work remains to be done. In view of this, my recommendations are as follows:  

a)   Despite having received the funds as late as last Friday, 13thDecember, I expect the mechanisms to immediately embark on their action plans and fast-track implementation;

b)  I urge the mechanisms to coordinate effectively amongst themselves, and to prioritise the screening and selection of forces for training, and to ensure the delivery of food and supplies to cantonment sites and training centres;

c)   The Security Supervision Mechanism to commence its work and closely coordinate with the NPTC, the Office of the IGAD Special Envoy for South Sudan, RJMEC and CTSAMVM;

d)  All security mechanisms, including the DDR Commission, should adhere to their refined action plans, and the NPTC should coordinate the mechanisms for effective implementation;

e)   The mechanisms should implement their activities giving due consideration to accountability and transparency;

f)    The IGAD Special Envoy to pursue the issue of the number of States and boundaries as a priority, and to remain seized of all the other outstanding issues, including urgently engaging the hold-out groups; and 

g)   I urge the Parties to compromise in resolving the number of States and their boundaries, and to cooperate fully in the unification of forces, so that the RTGoNU is established on a solid foundation and in a timely manner. 

16.   In closing, I would like to underline that with the funds now availed to the mechanisms, they must immediately embark on their priority tasks and accomplish as much as possible within the remaining 65 days.

17.   I wish you fruitful deliberations on the way forward. 

Thank you. 

Honourable Ministers,

Excellencies;

Ladies and Gentlemen.

Good morning. 

1. It is my pleasure to be with you this morning at this very important workshop. As all of you now know that the Pre-Transitional period has been extended by 100 days, and the clock began ticking last week. The Resolutions of the Ministerial Consultation of the Agreement Parties on 9th November and the 69th Extraordinary Session of IGAD Council of Ministers on 10th November designated this workshop as an essential step towards rectifying repeated failures in the implementation of the critical Pre-Transitional tasks. I am pleased to note that this workshop has been organized quickly, and I thank all those involved in its preparation.

2. Put simply, we have reached this point because not enough has been done to implement the pending Pre-Transitional tasks in order to establish the Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity (RTGoNU) on a solid foundation. While this is an unfortunate situation, we all understand that without funds, not much can be implemented. The timely and predictable flow of funds is paramount. RJMEC has consistently called for the release of funds and continue to urge the ITGoNU to immediately release the requisite funding, in the understanding that one day without funding is a day lost.

3. Also on the theme of funding, I would like to draw attention to Agreement Article 1.4.8. This article calls for a fund for the Pre-Transitional activities to be established which is to be managed transparently by the NPTC, and which reports monthly to the President of the Republic of South Sudan and to the Parties. Past experience of funding difficulties and inadequacy shows why this is a good idea, and I urge that the fund be established to manage funds transparently for the duration of the extension. This will bring credibility to the process and will encourage international partners, friends and donors to contribute to the fund. I also appeal to the NPTC to prioritise available funds to the operations of the mechanisms. 

4. This workshop is a good opportunity for the mechanisms, in the spirit of openness and transparency, to indicate how they have used the money that they have already received. Additionally, doing so will enable us to understand how much money the NPTC has disbursed, so that likewise it can be held to account. The NPTC should open exclusive accounts for each mechanism and deposit amount commensurate to operations of the specific Pre-Transitional tasks to be implemented.

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

5. This workshop is primarily a working session designed for each mechanism to set out priorities, critical tasks, milestones and rolling cost estimates for the duration of the extension. Each of the mechanisms must use these two days to complete their workplan and get themselves into a state of readiness to implement the critical pending Pre-Transitional tasks.  This involves clear strategic thinking, prioritization of activities, plans for concurrent implementation, and coordination with the other mechanisms. I wish to also welcome the participation of the DDR Commission, and I hope that its crucial role in the implementation of the cantonment and DDR process will be fully appreciated by all and funded accordingly.

6. In view of the above my recommendations for the NPTC and the Security Mechanisms during the 100 days extension are as follows:

1. a) Each mechanism should adhere strictly to the activities and timeframe as set out in the respective workplans;
2. b) Each mechanism should have the highest regard for cost effectiveness and transparency;
3. c) The NPTC should establish dedicated budget lines for each mechanism, and set up an account for each, which would promote accountability and transparency according to the letter and spirit of Article 1.4.8;
4. d) Each mechanism should account for the funds it has received to date; 
5. e) Each mechanism should establish and commit to an effective and realistic system of coordination between all the various mechanisms to avoid duplication of effort and ensure effective and efficient utilisation of resources; and  
6. f) Each mechanism should develop a standardised and regular reporting system so that progress can be clearly evaluated against benchmarks.

7. In closing, I would like to say that the workplans that you will set out over the next two days can work if the political will of the Parties is brought to bear, and it is my hope that renewed impetus in implementation over the 100 days extension will lead to increased trust and confidence. Finally, let me remind all of us that Unification of all Forces is a requirement of the Agreement (Article 2.2.1) and must not only be acceptable to all the Agreement Parties but the Parties must put all their efforts to see to its success. 

8. I wish you a fruitful two days’ workshop.

I thank you.

HonourableMinisters, 

Excellencies, 

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good morning.

1.  I welcome all of you to the 10thRJMEC meeting.  This meeting is important because the extended Pre-Transitional Period is due to end in less than four weeks. Ideally, at this stage we should all be excited with the real prospect of the R-TGoNU being formed, but unfortunately, we still have a lot of work to do in the days ahead to cross this bridge. I will revert to this matter later on in my statement.

2.  My statement today will highlight only the most recent progress made in the implementation of the activities of the Pre-Transitional period, but will particularly focus on the critical outstanding tasks necessary for the timely and smooth formation of the RTGoNU, and I will conclude with some recommendations on the way forward.

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

3.   Since our last meeting held in September, some progress has been made in the cantonment of forces. Out of the 25 designated cantonment sites for the opposition and 10 barracks for government forces, 24 cantonment sites and 6 barracks are operational. The total number of troops registered continuesto increase, and I expect to hear the latest details from the Security Mechanisms. I commend the Security Mechanisms for the significant progress made in registration. I note, however, that registration is just a first step. What follows is screening, selection, training and deployment of the Necessary Unified Forces. I therefore urge the remaining process to be expedited and to be undertaken concurrently to catch up with lost time.

4.   As you will recall, the IGAD Council of Ministers had required that at least half of the 83,000 Necessary Unified Forces “be cantoned and barracked, trained and deployed before the end of September 2019”. Unfortunately, this deadline was not met. I am, however, encouraged to hear that about 1,500 trainers are ready to begin their work. I appeal to the Security Mechanisms to expedite the selection of the forces for immediate training. In addition, I urge the DDR Commission to begin their work in the cantonment sites and barracks. I await an update from the JTSC on the plan for commencement of the training of forces. 

5.   On Tuesday 15 October, I briefed the AU Peace and Security Council and also the Chairperson of the IGAD Council of Ministers on the status of the pending Pre-Transitional tasks. In my message to both the Council and the Chairperson, I observed that it is unlikely that the 83,000 Necessary Unified Forces will be trained and deployed by the deadline of 12thNovember 2019.   

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,  

6.  In addition to the training and deployment of the Necessary Unified Forces, there are a number of other critical tasks vital to the formation of the RTGoNU. These include the following: 

a.     resolution of the number and boundaries of the States;

b.     enactment of the Constitutional Amendment Bill and the other Bills;

c.      agreement on allocation of ministerial portfolios; 

d.     submission by the Parties of their nominees for the TNLA to the NCAC; and 

e.     complete demilitarization of civilian centres.

7.  These tasks can be expedited and resolved by the leadership of the Parties before the November 12thdeadline. In my consultations with the Parties yesterday, they tentatively agreed to hold a meeting this Saturday to address some of the outstanding issues.    

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

8.  Overall, the RJMEC Secretariat’s assessment is that of the 63 identified Pre-Transitional tasks, 31 tasks have been completed, 22 are ongoing, and 10 are still pending. The updated assessment matrix has been shared with all of you. 

9.  Indeed, the full implementation of the Pre-Transitional tasks was intended to lay a firm foundation for the effective implementation of the Agreement and for the Parties to demonstrate their commitment to implement the Agreement in letter and spirit. The tasks were also informed by the bitter experiences of forming a government without the legal and security foundation during the 2015 Peace Agreement. 

10.  As I told the AU PSC and Chairperson IGAD Council of Ministers on Tuesday, there is no doubt that the Revitalized Peace Agreement has yielded dividends in the Republic of South Sudan. Since the signing of the Agreement, the Permanent Ceasefire has held and there is an overall improvement in the security and humanitarian situation across the country. According to UNMISS, close to 600,000 people have returned to their homes. These are gains that must be consolidated by ensuring that there is a firm foundation upon which the RTGoNU is established.

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

11.       In view of the above, I would like to make the following recommendations:

a.        the Incumbent TGoNU should, as a matter of urgency, availmore andadequate resources to the NPTCtofacilitate ongoing cantonment, concurrent training and deployment of forces;

b.        the Parties should meet and resolve the outstanding issue of the number and boundaries of States without further delay;

c.         the leadership of the Parties should meet very soon and agree on what options are available come the 12thNovember deadline; 

d.        the regional and international partners and friends of South Sudan should enhance their financial, political and in-kind support to the full implementation of the R-ARCSS.

12.       In conclusion, I would like to reiterate that the gains of the last 13 months must be consolidated, and I call upon the RJMEC members to pronounce themselves and provide guidance on the best way forward.   

13.       I wishyou fruitful deliberations.

I thank you.