“The renewed conflict since July 2016, has not only impeded progress in the implementation of the Peace Agreement but also reversed many of the gains that had been initially made,” JMEC Chair H.E. Festus Mogae said.

“Conflict escalated, Parties fractured, new groups emerged, and civilian continued to be displaced and endure threat of food insecurity amidst a dire economic situation.”

He was speaking during an evaluation review workshop on the ARCSS on Monday. In March this year, six JMEC Working Committees were formed whose tasks is to assess progress towards the implementation of the ARCSS, evaluate, support and recommend remedial actions to be taken by the Parties to the Agreement.

Before compiling its reports, the Committees have made a combined 38 meetings, engaged with the Transitional Government of the National Unity, other stakeholders and invited briefings from the key Agreement Institutions and Implementation mechanisms.

JMEC members including Parties to the Agreement, other South Sudanese stakeholders and adherents, regional guarantors and international parties and friends of South Sudan attended the one-day workshop.

“The findings will form a basis for JMEC’s report to IGAD on the status of the implementation of the Peace Agreement which is instrumental to the success of the revitalisation,” he said.

“I hope that the Committee’s assessment that enable the Parties, the region and all South Sudanese stakeholders to pursue the revitalisation process from an informed point of view, and encourage them to take concrete steps to revitalise the implementation of the Peace Agreement without further delays.”