Communication Office

PRESS RELEASE

(For Immediate Publication) 

Wednesday, 31 March 2021 , Juba, South Sudan

RECONSTITUTE TNLA AND ADHERE TO THE 35% LEVEL OF WOMEN’S REPRESENTATION 

The Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC) has called for the quick reconstitution of the Transitional National Legislative Assembly (TNLA), while urging the Parties to the Agreement to adhere to the 35% level of women’s representation in the appointments to it.

In a statement to the RJMEC members delievered electronically, the Interim Chairperson H.E. Maj. Gen. Charles Tai Gituai said, 

“A reconstituted TNLA is required to enact a range of legislations critical to the ongoing implementation of the R-ARCSS. I appeal to the RTGoNU (Revitalised Transitional Government of National Unity), to reconstitute the assembly to enable the enactment of the Bills into law, and expedite judicial reforms.” 

Furthermore, he added, “there is a clear need for more women to be appointed at all levels of government, especially at the state executive and legislative positions.” 

On the security sector reforms, Maj. Gen. Gituai said “cantonment sites and training centers continue to face serious logistical constraints, such as food, medicines and sufficient shelter, which are lacking, and female combatants continue to lack appropriate facilities and personal hygiene items.”

“Training of the Necessary Unified Forces (NUF) has stalled, and no graduation or redeployment plans have been announced. The lack of sufficient funding to the Security Mechanisms is a constraint,” he said.

The Interim Chairperson also said the humanitarian situaiton in South Sudan is dire, as a result of multiple factors, including widespread sub-national violence, floods, COVID-19 related restrictions, economic challenges and acute food insecurity, impacting humanitarian movement and operations, threatening the safety of staff and assets. 

“It is the responsibility of the RTGoNU, as per article 1.2.2, to restore permanent and sustainable peace, security, and stability, and I call upon the Central and State Governments to work jointly with local leaders and curb the violence. The operationalisation of the State Security Committees will be instrumental is alleviating the situation,” he said.  

As we proceed into Easter, Maj. Gen. Gituai said, “I hope that we all use this time as a period of reflection so that when we return from the break, we are inspired to pick up the pace of implementation of the R-ARCSS and build momentum towards its full implementation in letter and spirit. 

“Three months from now, July, marks ten years of independence for South Sudan, and now is the time to accelerate the implementation of the Agreement so that there will be much to celebrate in a decade of independence,” he added. 

ENDS

Five South Sudanese Parties signed the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS) in September 2018, putting the conflict in South Sudan to an end. Now, in February 2021, it is one year since the formation of the Revitalised Transitional Government of National Unity (RTGoNU). The establishment of the RTGoNU was viewed as a milestone, because it demonstrated that the implementation of the R-ARCSS was proceeding. In other words, this was the proof that the peace agreement – despite delays and concerns about political will – was in good enough health. How has the RTGoNU fared since then?

The Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC) has released progress report of the state of implementation of the revitalized peace agreement during the first year of the transitional period.  The report seeks to take stock of the progress made so far, challenges encountered and what remain at stake gong forward.

Read full report here: https://www.jmecsouthsudan.org/index.php/reports/r-arcss-evaluation-reports/179-progress-report-by-h-e-maj-gen-charles-tai-gituai-rtd-cbs-interim-chairperson-of-rjmec-on-the-first-year-of-the-transitional-period-of-the-r-arcss-covering-the-period-22nd-february-2020-to-23rd-february-2021/file 

The full implementation of the Transitional Security Arrangements (TSA) as set out in the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS) is intended to underpin a stable and secure future for the people of South Sudan, but the slow pace of implementation is concerning.  

STATEMENT BY H.E. MAJ. GEN. (RTD) CHARLES TAI GITUAI INTERIM CHAIRPERSON, RJMEC TO THE 16THRJMEC MONTHLY MEETING, THURSDAY, 4 FEBRUARY 2021, JUBA, SOUTH SUDAN

HonourableMinisters, 

Excellencies, 

Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good morning.

1.  I would like to start by welcoming you to our first monthly meeting of 2021, and by wishing you all a Happy New Year. I hope it will be a year where all of us demonstrate dedication and commitment to achieve the required level of implementation of R-ARCSS. There is need to make progress, and for this to happen the onus is on the RTGoNU to strategise, mobilise the required resources and increase the pace of implementation of the Peace Agreement.

2.  This month will mark one year since the formation of the RTGoNU and commencement of the Transitional Period.  The question that should be on all our minds is how much progress have we achieved to date, and what tasks lie ahead of us.  Since the last monthly meeting, the RJMEC has actively engaged with the Presidency, Parties to the Agreement, regional and international partners, stakeholders and adherents, and relevant RTGoNU line ministries. In addition, RJMEC has written to the Chairperson of the IGAD Heads of State and Government and the Secretary of the IGAD Council of Ministers. The focus of these engagements has been on highlighting critical issues pertaining to the Agreement, and ways to improve on the pace of implementation.    

3.  Today I will provide an update on the status of implementation of the R-ARCSS since our last monthly meeting, highlight key outstanding issues and recurring challenges and conclude with my recommendations. 

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, 

4.  On governance, it is encouraging to report that there have been some developments since our last meeting. The Presidency in their fourth meeting on 9 December 2020 discussed and agreed on steps to be taken pursuant to the implementation of the pending governance arrangements, including reconstitution of the Transitional National Legislative Assembly (TNLA), and the Council of States. In view of the above, I welcome the resolutions of the meeting of the Presidency on Tuesday 2 February, and I look forward to their full implementation.   

5.  On 30 December 2020, the President appointed six Deputy Governors for the states of Eastern Equatoria, Western Equatoria, Jonglei, Lakes, Unity and Western Bahr el Ghazal.  Then on 22 January 2021, three Deputy Governors were appointed for Central Equatoria, Northern Bahr el Ghazal and Unity states. Finally, on  29 January 2021, the  Governor and Deputy Governor of Upper Nile state were appointed. I note that three of the Deputy Governors are women, of whom two were nominated by the OPP and one by the SPLM/A-IO. However, this falls short of the 35 percent women representation required in the Agreement. There is, therefore, need for more women to be appointed in the state executive positions. 

6.  Furthermore, on 18 January 2021, the Parties to the R-ARCSS initialled an agreement on responsibility-sharing positions in the three Administrative Areas of Abyei, Greater Pibor and Ruweng. The positions were shared between ITGoNU, SPLM/A-IO, and SSOA.

7.  In regard to the nomination of members to the TNLA, it is still the case that only the Former Detainees have submitted the list of  nominees to the National Constitution Amendment Committee (NCAC), as per the requirement in the Agreement. I, therefore, urge the I-TGoNU, SPLM/A-IO SSOA and OPP to submit their lists of nominees to the NCAC for their due diligence in order to ensure that the process of reconstitution of the TNLA is completed. I also reiterate my appeal to the Parties to adhere to the 35 percent level of women’s representation in their nominations.

8.  Similarly, there are other tasks on governance that require the RTGoNU to expedite their implementation. These include the establishment of the ad-hoc Judicial Reforms Committee (JRC), and restructuring and reconstitution of various Commissions and Institutions at the national level as stipulated in the Agreement.  

9.  Implementation of the Transitional Security Arrangements (TSA)is intended to underpin a stable and secure future for the people of South Sudan. Unfortunately, there is no progress reported on the training, graduation and redeployment of Necessary Unified Forces (NUF) under Phase I. Outstanding issues are the establishment of a unified command structure for the NUF, and finding a solution to the ‘ranking’ process and the management of excess senior officers. 

10.      There are also serious ongoing challenges within the cantonment sites and training centres. This fact was emphasised in a joint statement following a recent visit organised by RJMEC, of the AU, the IGAD Special Envoy and the IGAD and AU C5 ambassadors to training centres in Maridi and Rajaf. It was disheartening to observe that a lack of food and other essential resources, such as medicines, shelter and separate facilities for women, has led to the suffering of the trainees, and to some trainees abandoning the training centres. The protracted delays and passing of time without progress is detrimental to lasting peace in South Sudan. Furthermore, implementation of the Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) process has not gone forward since my last statement.

11.       In an effort to drive forward implementation of the Transitional Security Arrangements, RJMEC convened a joint seminar with the National Transitional Committee, Security Mechanisms and DDR Commission. The seminar examined current and future risks and challenges, set priorities, and agreed on a set of recommendations.     

12.       Also of importance is the work of the Strategic Defence and Security Review Board (SDSRB), which must finalise the first stage of its tasks by completing the Board Strategic Security Assessment, the National Security Policy Framework and the revised Defence and Security Policy in line with the requirements of the R-ARCSS. Completion of these tasks of the SDSRB is critical to the formation of a unified army and other security services.

13.       On sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), the CTSAMVM Technical Committee produced a report on SGBV incidents and trends. This report is available on the CTSAMVM website. I urge continued focus on investigating, arresting, prosecuting and sentencing perpetrators of SGBV crimes.

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, 

14.       On the humanitarian situation, according to OCHA’s recently published Humanitarian Needs Overview, 8.3 million people in South Sudan are estimated to need humanitarian assistance in 2021, up from 7.5 million in 2020. 72 counties are facing extreme needs, five counties are in severe need and one county is in catastrophic need, which is Pibor, Jonglei. This calls for a greater need for funding and humanitarian responses in 2021 on the part of the RTGoNU, in collaboration with the aid agencies.

15.       It is also concerning to note that humanitarian workers face increasing numbers of bureaucratic access impediments and security threats. I would like to hear from the RTGoNU which steps are being taken to address the growing concerns of humanitarian access.  

16.       With regard to economic and financial management, I note the efforts of the Public Financial Management Oversight Committee in building the capacity of the government to implement its reform strategy that is aligned to the R-ARCSS. However, I wish to reiterate the need for the establishment of the Economic and Financial Management Authority (EFMA) to report to the RJMEC on progress in implementation against individual provisions in Chapter 4.

17.       I welcome the recently updated annual petroleum reports from the Ministry of Petroleum. The public availability of these reports contributes to increased transparency in the oil sector. I would also like the RTGoNU to provide an update on the status of operationalising the oil revenue funds (Oil Stabilization Account and the Future Generations Fund) and restructuring the National Petroleum and Gas Commission, and the Nile Petroleum Corporation, as required in Chapter 4 of the R-ARCSS. 

18.       Concerning transitional justice, healing and reconciliation, I am pleased to note that the roadmap for implementation of Chapter 5,  proposed by the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs to the Council of Ministers has been endorsed. The Council has now authorised the Minister to establish the Commission for Truth Reconciliation and Healing, the Compensation and Reparations Authority, and the Hybrid Court for South Sudan, in accordance with the R-ARCSS. I appeal to the Minister to commence the stakeholders’ consultations on these three mechanisms and expedite their establishment.

19.       With regard to the constitutional making process under Chapter 6, some progress has already been made in preparation towards convening the workshop for the Parties to agree on the details of conducting the Permanent Constitution-making process. This includes two rounds ofsensitisation meetings with some of the representatives of the Parties, the Other South Sudanese Stakeholders and relevant rule of law institutions and mechanisms. In this regard, we appreciate the commitment of the Max Planck Foundation, the institute which RJMEC has engaged to facilitate this workshop.

20.       However, the workshop could not take place at the end of January as originally planned, because the ITGoNU did not submit the list of its representatives to the workshop. RJMEC will communicate the new date for the workshop after receiving the list from the ITGoNU. I want to reiterate the importance of this workshop whose outcome will form the basis of the legislation to be enacted to govern the constitutional making process.RJMEC is working closely with the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs and other relevant actors to make sure that this workshop is a success.

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

 21.       Our latest Quarterly Implementation Status Report is available and I’m confident that you have all received copies. Furthermore, a summary report of the Pre-Transitional Period is also available, and a copy has been provided to you this morning. Overall, progress has been slow, and a lot of ground remains to be covered. As we approach the one-year anniversary of the Transitional Period, I urge you all to take steps that will contribute to increasing the pace of implementation of the Agreement.

22.       I note that the RJMEC Working Committees are already meeting, and I thank members for their engagement so far. I appeal to all RJMEC members to continue taking the work of these committees seriously, and to participate fully in their meetings. We will soon organise a review workshop to take stock of the status of the implementation of the Agreement chapter by chapter, and the Working Committees will take lead in this review. 

23.    I would like to conclude with the following recommendations to this meeting.

 a)   Urge the Parties to expedite the appointment of all personnel to the government structures at the sub-national level, while observing the 35% level for women’s representation;  

b)   Prevail on the ITGoNU, SPLM/A-IO, SSOA and OPP to immediately submit their nominations to National Constitutional Amendment Committee in order to facilitate the long overdue reconstitution of the Transitional National Legislative Assembly (TNLA) and the Council of States, while observing the 35% level for women’s representation; 

c)    Appeal to the I-TGoNU to immediately submit the list of its representatives to the permanent constitutional process workshop to facilitate timely planning and its convening without delay;

d)   Urge the RTGoNU to adequately fund the Transitional Security Arrangements, and to expedite and complete the unification of forces, and ensure well-coordinated DDR;

e)   Urge the RTGoNU to drive forward the work of the Strategic Defence and Security Review Board (SDSRB), which must finalise the first stage of their tasks in line with the requirements of the R-ARCSS;

f)    Urge continued focus on investigating, arresting, prosecuting and sentencing perpetrators of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence crimes, as well as continued training and sensitisation on SGBV issues within the Organised Forces;

g)   Urge the RTGoNU to proceed in a timely manner with the establishment of the three Transitional Justice mechanisms, including through public consultation in collaboration with other stakeholders and civil society; and

h)  Urge the RTGoNU to avail the necessary resources for the implementation of the Peace Agreement.

24.       Lastly, 9 July this year will mark ten years of independence for South Sudan. It is incumbent on all of us to push hard on the implementation of the Revitalised Peace Agreement so that the ten-year celebrations will mark not only the milestone of a decade of independence, but also significant progress in the implementation of the Peace Agreement.

Thank you. 

REMARKS BY H.E. MAJ. GEN CHARLES TAI GITUAI INTERIM CHAIRPERSON RECONSTITUTED JOINT MONITORING AND EVALUATION COMMISSION PRESENTED AT THE RJMEC JOINT NTC AND SECURITY MECHANISMS SEMINAR, JUBA, SOUTH SUDAN

Honourable Minsters;

Ambassadors and Representatives of the Diplomatic Community; 

Distinguished participants of the National Transitional Committee and the Security Mechanisms;

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good morning. 

1.     It is my pleasure to welcome you all to this Seminar this morning. We at RJMEC decided to organise this Seminar in accordance with our mandate chapter 7 article 7.6 where it states that inter alia ... “in case of non-implementation of the mandate and tasks of the RTGoNU, or other deficiencies, the RJMEC shall recommend appropriate corrective action to the RTGoNU.” Therefore as peace monitors and evaluators we are obligated to oversee the implementation of the Agreement within the agreed timelines and implementation schedule. 

2.     Consequently, RJMEC decided to conduct this one-day seminar, following our assessment and evaluation, from the beginning of the Transitional Period and up to now, we have observed that there has been a significant decline in the pace of implementation of the Permanent Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements (PCTSA) as envisaged in Chapter Two of the Agreement. This being a critical Chapter in the overall success of the implementation of the Peace process, raises concerns, as its failure would no doubt threat the security situation in the country and undermine the nation's hope for enduring peace in South Sudan.

3.     Permanent Ceasefire and the Transitional Security Arrangements (PCTSA) are a fundamental building block of the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS). The success of the implementation of Chapter Two will create the foundation upon which security of all other chapters will operate; and it is an assurance of a stable nation, as Unified Forces signifies the National Unity and a symbol of nationhood, where security forces are loyal to the Constitution and to the country with one Commander in Chief who is also the Head of State.

4.     However, RJMEC, as monitors and evaluators of the peace process, we have clearly seen that the training of the National Unified Forces has stalled. As we witnessed for ourselves on Saturday 23 January 2021 at both Maridi and Rajaf training centres when RJMEC conducted a joint field visit with the IGAD Special Envoy for South Sudan and the head of the African Union Mission in South Sudan, the IGAD Ambassadors and C5 African Ambassadors, and also including other areas that RJMEC have visited in different occasions like Mapel and others.

 5.     RJMEC’s assessment has come up with three areas that are of critical concern and will be the basis of our discussion today among others. These areas are:

 a)    Failure of cantonment;

b)    Stalling of NUF Training, graduation and redeployment; and

c)     Defections/Changes of Allegiance. 

6.     During the previous visits to the training areas, the soldier’s expectations of graduation and deployment was very high as well as their morale, as they foresaw a new dawn in their military careers. Now there are reports of morale reaching low levels in the poorly supplied Cantonment sites, and reports of trainees abandoning poorly supplied training centres in search of food. To date no graduation or redeployment plans have been published. Problems of diseases and lack of medicine and many other problems which no doubt, we will hear more about during the course of this Seminar. 

7.     Other reports indicate an increase in defections / changes of allegiance amongst some commanders and their troops which undermines the unification process.  RJMEC has made its position very clear on defections or changes of allegiance in many other occasions and has previously stated that “the Revitalised Peace Agreement in South Sudan has made commendable progress in the past two years since its signing and this must not be allowed to weaken because of instability caused by defections or accepting defections, which is contrary to the letter and spirit of the Agreement.”

8.     The aim of this Seminar therefore, is to determine the status of the PCTSA, the current and future challenges, to set priorities and to agree on solutions and proposals to keep the Permanent Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements on track. I am hopeful that there will be full participation and open contributions from everyone present and we look forward to the briefings and reports from the NTC, the Security Mechanisms and the DDR Commission to enable us to take proper stock.

9.     Next month marks one year of the formation of RTGoNU, other chapters have progressed, however slowly, but chapter two seems to be the slowest yet as military we should have led the way with others to follow as our mantra!  This year, in July, marks ten years of independence, it is our hope that a strong push from all of us here and South Sudan’s political leaders will go a long way to ensuring that 11 July 2021, will see a celebration of progress in the implementation of the peace agreement. 

 I thank you. 

The Permanent Ceasefire and the Transitional Security Arrangements (PCTSA) are a fundamental building block of the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS). Its full and timely implementation is intended to underpin a stable future for the people and country of South Sudan, and it is a key part of avoiding repetition of past mistakes, and achieving a united, peaceful and prosperous society throughout the country. 

On Saturday 23 January 2021, almost one year into the Transitional Period, we, the IGAD Special Envoy for South Sudan, the representatives of Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, Nigeria and the African Union Mission in South Sudan, undertook a field visit to Maridi, Western Equatoria, and Rajaf, Central Equatoria. The objective of the mission, which was organised by the Interim Chair of RJMEC, was to see for ourselves the status and conditions of the training centres, which is where troops for the Necessary Unified Forces (NUF) are trained. Establishing the NUF is the first phase of establishing an overall unified army of South Sudan.   

Unfortunately, since the beginning of the Transitional Period in particular, there has been slow progress in the pace of implementation of the PCTSA, a fact which in turn threatens the security situation, and undermines the nation's hope for peace in South Sudan. Clearly, the training of the NUF has stalled, as we witnessed on 23 January 2021 at both Maridi and Rajaf training centres. 

It is disheartening to note that a lack of food and other essential resources, such as medicines, shelter and separate facilities for women, has led to suffering of the trainees, and to some trainees abandoning the training centres. Unsurprisingly, morale in the training centres has significantly declined. We understand that a similar situation exists in cantonment sites. 

Furthermore, no NUF graduation or redeployment plans have been published to date by the Ministry of Defence or the Security Mechanisms. Based on these facts we think that the process of the unification of forces is not going in the right direction as envisaged in the R-ARCSS.

We firmly believe that the full implementation of the PCTSA is the best way to help ensure stability across South Sudan. We look to the government, and in particular the Presidency, to drive the PCTSA forward, and to engender the political will necessary across all implementing Agreement institutions and mechanisms to make up for lost time and implement the PCTSA fully in letter and spirit. 

Accordingly, we have two recommendations which we hope will help to improve the situation in the near-term. They are:

1.     Improve conditions in Training Centres by providing adequate food and other essential supplies; and

2.     Accelerate the graduation of the NUF and publish their redeployment plan.

We believe that the successful implementation of PCTSA is a guarantee to a permanent foundation of enduring peace in the South Sudan. Protracted delays and passing of time without progress is detrimental to the overall situation in South Sudan. It is high time for positive willpower and an attitude of collaboration, respect and problem-solving, which can overcome impasses. Nothing durable is built without effort and hard work, which as we know requires cooperation, consensus, coordination, concession, compromise and sacrifice to ensure success in the peace process. Increased confidence-building among the Parties will underpin these key elements.  

We are all signatories to the R-ARCSS. We look forward to the Presidency of South Sudan to give the PCTSA the full attention it merits because the stability of the country is the clearest and nearest path to prosperity for all South Sudanese people. As in the past, our countries stand ready to assist our brothers and sisters of South Sudan to achieve lasting and enduring peace. Later this year, on 9 July 2021, South Sudan will reach the milestone of ten years of independence, and there can be no better way to celebrate this than significant progress in the implementation of the R-ARCSS, including with the PCTSA.  

Sincerely, we the undersigned.

Ambassador Professor Joram Biswaro, Head of African Union Mission in South Sudan

 Ambassador Ismail Waiss, IGAD Special Envoy for South Sudan

Ambassador Hussein Mahamud, Ambassador, Embassy of Somalia

Mr Gamal A.M. Goraish, Chargé D'Affaires, Embassy of Sudan

Mr Ali Mambo, Counselor, Embassy of Kenya

Mr Alemayehu Chasa, Defence Attaché, Embassy of Ethiopia

Mr Judah Ugochukwu, Political Officer, Embassy of Nigeria

Major General Charles Tai Gituai, Interim Chairperson of RJMEC

The training and redeployment of the National Unified Forces (NUF) has stalled, RJMEC Interim Chairperson H.E. Maj. Gen (Rtd) Charles Tai Gituai has said.

The training and redeployment of the National Unified Forces (NUF) has stalled. This follows an assessment by the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC). In addition, the RJMEC has noted a significant decline in the pace of implementation of the Permanent Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements (PCTSA) as envisaged in Chapter Two of the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS). 

Of critical concern, the Commission noted, are the failure of cantonment, the stalling of NUF training, graduation and redeployment, and defections / changes of allegiance, which undermine the unification process.  

Speaking during a one-day seminar organised by RJMEC that brought together the National Transitional Committee (NTC), the Revitalised Agreement security mechanisms and other key stakeholders, RJMEC Interim Chairperson H.E. Maj. Gen (Rtd) Charles Tai Gituai said: 

“There are also reports of morale reaching low levels in the poorly supplied Cantonment sites, and reports of trainees abandoning poorly supplied training centres in search of food. To date no graduation or redeployment plans have been published.”

“Next month marks one year of the formation of Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity (RTGoNU), other chapters have progressed, however slowly, but Chapter Two (of the Revitalised Peace Agreement), critical in the overall success of the Peace process, seems to be the slowest,” he said.  

The seminar’s aim was to determine the status of the PCTSA, the current and future challenges, to set priorities and to agree on solutions and proposals to keep the Permanent Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements on track.

The RJMEC Interim Chairperson continued: “The success of the implementation of Chapter Two will create the foundation upon which security of all other chapters will operate; and it is an assurance of a stable nation, as Unified Forces signifies the National Unity and a symbol of nationhood, where security forces are loyal to the Constitution and to the country with one Commander in Chief who is also the Head of State.”

As the country marks ten years of independence in July 2021, Maj. Gen. Gituai said,  “it is our hope that a strong push from all of us here and South Sudan’s political leaders will go a long way to ensuring that 9 July 2021, will see a celebration of progress in the implementation of the peace agreement.”

ENDS