The Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC) was reconstituted at a meeting convened on Monday 19 November 2018 by H.E. Dr Ismail Wais, the IGAD Special Envoy to South Sudan.

JOINT PRESS RELEASE

FROM THE OFFICES OF JMEC AND IGAD

Tuesday, 20, November, 2018, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission reconstituted

The Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC) was reconstituted at a meeting convened on Monday 19 November 2018 by H.E. Dr Ismail Wais, the IGAD Special Envoy to South Sudan.

The Special Envoy commended the IGAD Council of Ministers for their support of the Revitalized Peace Agreement as well as the Government of South Sudan and the Parties for their commitment to the peace process. 

JMEC Interim Chairman Ambassador Lt. Gen. Njoroge told the members of the reconstituted JMEC: “This august body is now reconstituted, made more inclusive, and bestowed with significant power and responsibility to monitor the Parties’ and stakeholders’ adherence to the implementation of the revitalized Peace Agreement. I can assert that we have the attention of the region as well as the people of South Sudan, and we must do our utmost to deliver.”

The meeting was attended by the Parties to the Agreement and other stakeholders, comprised of faith-based leaders, eminent personalities, and representatives of women’s groups, the business community, civil society, youth, and academia. Also present were the Regional Guarantors and the International Partners and Friends of South Sudan.

The reconstituted JMEC resolved as follows:

• Welcomed the reconstitution of the reconstituted JMEC by IGAD and expressed deep appreciation to H.E Dr. Ismail Wais, the IGAD Special Envoy for South Sudan for his personal contribution that led to the success of the revitalization process;

• Congratulated the Interim Chairman Ambassador Lt. Gen. and all the representatives nominated to the reconstituted JMEC;

• Endorsed the statement of the reconstituted JMEC Interim Chairperson on the status of implementation of the Revitalized Peace Agreement;

• Commended the Parties for the positive steps taken in the implementation of the Revitalized Peace Agreement, in particular nominations of representatives to the various institutions and mechanisms of the Peace Agreement and for the ongoing confidence building, and encouraged further progress;

• Endorsed the reconstituted JMEC Rules of Procedure 2018;

• Took note of the reports of the UNMISS, National Constitutional Amendment Committee (NCAC) and Ceasefire and Transition Security Arrangements Monitoring and Verification Mechanism (CTSAMVM), and thanked the SGSR H.E Mustafa, and the Chairperson of NCAC Mr. Gichira Kibara for the good work and called for the immediate implementation of their recommendations;

• Called upon all parties and stakeholders to observe the permanent ceasefire in all parts of the country without exception and to guarantee unimpeded humanitarian access;

• Commended the outgoing Chairperson of CTSAMVM Maj. Gen. Ibrahim Abduljelill for his contribution to the peace process in his tenure and welcomed the new CTSAMVM Chairperson Maj. Gen. Desta Abiche;

• Appealed to the international partners and friends of South Sudan to support implementation of the Pre-Transitional activities of the Revitalized Peace Agreement;

• Called upon the IGAD Office of the Special Envoy to ensure the immediate establishment of the Joint Defense Board, International Boundaries Commission and Technical Boundaries Committee;

• That next reconstituted JMEC meeting should be convened on 12th December 2018 in Juba.

Your Excellency, Dr Ismail Wais, IGAD Special Envoy for South Sudan Honorable Ministers,

Your Excellencies,

Distinguised Ladies and Gentlemen,

Your Excellency, Dr Ismail Wais,

1. Let me start by taking this opportunity to thank you for reconstituting JMEC. I join you in welcoming all the members of the reconstituted JMEC to this very first Plenary.

2. I congratulate the people of South Sudan, the government and the opposition parties for choosing the path of peace and for the historic signing of the Revitalized Agreement on 12 September 2018, here in Addis Ababa.

3. May I also congratulate all of you for being nominated as members to this esteemed body. I commend the leadership of IGAD, and the Special Envoy for South Sudan and his Taskforce for their commitment, and the regional and international community for their support which led to the successful conculsion of the revitalization process.

4. I also seize this oppportunity to pay tribute to His Excellency Festus Mogae, former President of Botswana and former Chairperson of JMEC, for his wise decision to recommend the revitalization of the 2015 Peace Agreement. His leadership and support throughout the revitalization process was instrumental in its eventual success.

Honorable Ministers, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

5. Allow me to also personally thank the IGAD Council of Ministers, for entrusting me with this noble responsibility as Interim Chairperson of the reconstituted JMEC.

6. Having worked with His Excellency Festus Mogae for the last two years at JMEC as his deputy, I am fully aware of the enormity of this responsibility. Therefore, I call upon your full support and cooperation, so that the reconstituted JMEC can deliver on its mandate.

7. Last Friday, I had the honour of addressing the 66th Extra-Ordinary Session of the IGAD Council of Ministers, from which I can assure you that there is a high level of expectation placed in reconstituted JMEC by the IGAD member states. The Council of Ministers welcomed the progress in implementation made so far by the South Sudanese parties and stakeholders, and expect this momentum to be maintained. The Council also urged the Parties to observe the 35% quota of women in all Agreement institutions.

8. This august body is now reconstituted, made more inclusive, and bestowed with significant power and responsibility to monitor the Parties’ and stakeholders’ adherence to the implementation of the revitalized Peace Agreement. I can assert that we have the attention of the region as well as the people of South Sudan, and we must do our utmost to deliver.

9. To facilitate the smooth and effective implementation of the Peace Agreement, I appeal to all of you to use both the reconstituted JMEC Plenary meetings and the Office of the Chairperson to resolve any issues that might arise. I look forward to holding our future Plenaries in Juba.

Honorable Ministers, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

10. It is slightly over 60 days since the R-ARCSS came into effect and the Secretariat has been keenly monitoring the status of implementation, which we have summarized in three reports issued so far. There is no doubt that some commendable progress has been made in the implementation of agreed tasks, within the timeline prescribed in the Agreement.

11. Amongst the key tasks completed so far are:

a. Ratification of the Revitalized Agreement by the Parties;

b.Nominations by the Parties and stakeholders of their representatives to various institutions and mechanisms;

c. Establishment and reconstitution of the Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring and Verification Mechanism (CTSAMVM), the National Pre-Transitional Committee (NPTC), and the National Constitutional Amendment Committee (NCAC);

12. All the above reconstituted institutions and mechanisms have already commenced their work and are making good progress delivering on their mandates.

13. However, there are some key pending tasks as of today.

These include:

a. Establishment of new institutions such as the Independent Boundaries Commission (IBC), the Technical Boundaries Committee (TBC), the Joint Defense Board (JDB), and the Joint Transitional Security Committee (JTSC), which are critical for implementation of some Pre-Transitional activities.

b. Reconstitution of the Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) Board, the Joint Military Ceasefire Commission (JMCC), and the Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration Commission (DDRC).

14. I would like to make clear that the formation of the IBC and TBC, two critical institutions for the Pre-Transitional period, are long overdue. However, I welcome the Council of Ministers’ decision last Friday to urgently take steps to expedite their establishment.

15. Despite the overall decline in ceasefire violations and humanitarian access problems, I am concerned both by the reported fighting that took place in the areas of Wau and Yei River State, and the denial of humanitarian access, such as in the area of Rubkuay, Unity State, last month.

16. I understand that some of those involved in the fighting were non- signatories to the Peace Agreement. In this regard, I welcome the decision of the IGAD Council of Ministers taken at the 66th Extra-ordinary Session to invite the non-signatories to join in its implementation. The ceasefire and humanitarian access must be complete throughout the country and without exception for the people of South Sudan to live in safety and dignity.

17. However, I am encouraged by the Parties’ joint efforts to build confidence through visits to hot spots, and to de-escalate the fighting. CTSAMVM will provide a detailed briefing shortly.

Honorable Ministers, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen

18. I am greatly encouraged by the demonstrable political will of the Parties to implement the Peace Agreement in letter and spirit.

19. Even as we gather here today, many of the opposition leaders and representatives have returned to Juba and are actively participating in the NPTC and NCAC, in the spirit of the Peace Agreement. The Chairpersons of CTSAMVM and the NCAC will shortly give their progress reports on the implementation of their respective tasks.

20. As we witnessed during the Peace Celebrations in Juba, as well as elsewhere in the country, the people of South Sudan have embraced the revitalized Peace Agreement. The Parties must now fulfil the people’s aspiration for peace and make it a reality.

21. I commend His Excellency Salva Kiir Mayardit, President of the Republic of South Sudan, his brother Dr Riek Machar Teny and the leadership of the different parties for this renewed spirit of collaboration. I further encourage South Sudanese leaders to explore more joint initiatives for confidence building including outside Juba, in the States and in neighbouring countries where significant numbers of South Sudanese citizens temporarily reside.

Honorable Ministers, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen

22. Let me take this opportunity to address our partners, the regional and international community represented here. You have stood side by side with the people of South Sudan from the beginning and therefore, we welcome your continued support at this critical hour of need and hope.

23. This revitalized agreement has the necessary checks and balances to ensure its full implementation. Unlike the 2015 Peace Agreement, this Agreement has a number of activities to be conducted within eight months to demonstrate the commitment of the Parties.

24. While the government in Juba is expected to lead the way, the prescribed tasks can only be sufficiently accomplished with your backing.

25. I commend the South Sudanese government for its initial contribution to the National Pre-Transitional Committee Fund (NPTF) of SSP 100 million and USD 1 million, and I urge the government to continue its funding of the key Pre-Transitional activities as the onus to do so lies with the government.

26. I also appeal to our international partners: the Troika, the EU, China, the UN, and all the members of the International Partners Forum to extend the requisite support to the government and to all the Pre-Transitional institutions and mechanisms.

Honorable Ministers, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen

27. In conclusion, I look forward to working very closely with all of you, in a collaborative and collegial manner, and I pledge our total commitment to support the Parties to implement this agreement in letter and spirit.

28. I expect this inaugural Plenary to review and endorse our Rules of Procedure and Resolutions template as well as receive progress reports from the NCAC and the CTSAMVM.

May God bless us all. Thank you.

JMEC Interim Chairperson Ambassador Lt. Gen. Augostino S.K. Njoroge yesterday delivered a statement at the 66th Extra-ordinary Session of the IGAD Council of Ministers on the status of the implementation of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS).

-Your Excellency,the Chairperson of the IGAD Council of Ministers,

- Your Excellency,the Chairperson of the African Union Commission,

- Your Excellencies,Members of the Council,

- Your Excellency,IGAD Executive Secretary,

- Your Excellency,IGAD Special Envoy for SouthSudan

- Honorable Ministers,

- Your Excellencies,

- Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,

Your Excellency the Chairman

1. I thank you for inviting me to address the 66th Extra-Ordinary Session of the IGAD Council of Ministers. As the newly appointed Acting Chairperson of JMEC, I feel honored to continue with the passionate work of H.E. Festus Mogae, former President of the Republic of Botswana, and former Chairperson of JMEC.

2. His Excellency’s recommendation and support of the revitalization of the Peace Agreement was a watershed moment for the peace process in South Sudan. However, the level of success could not have been achieved without the support of this Council.

Excellences, Ladies and Gentlemen,

3. I am pleased to report that there has been significant progress in the implementation of the Revitalized Peace Agreement, and the Parties to the Agreement have participated in a series of confidence building measures. JMEC believes that the momentum can be maintained. However, we would like to observe this is only but the beginning of the long road in the implementation of the Revitalized Peace Agreement.

4. Key developments have already started taking place, including the ratification of the revitalized Peace Agreement by the Parties and the Transitional National Legislature. Nomination of the parties’ and stakeholders’ representatives to the various Agreement Institutions and Mechanisms have been received and some have been either established or reconstituted.

5.The National Pre-Transition Committee (NPTC) has been established and is operational. The National Constitutional Amendment Committee (NCAC) and the Ceasefire and Transitional Security Monitoring and Verification Mechanisms (CTSAMVM) have been reconstituted and both have embarked on implementing their mandates.

6. This amounts to impressive progress in terms of trust- and confidence-building. I commend H.E. President Salva Kiir Mayardit and other political leaders of South Sudan for what they have achieved to date and urge them to sustain their commitment and the spirit of collaboration and cooperation as exhibited thus far.

7. I further commend the Parties who have released prisoners of war and/or political detainees pursuant to the spirit of the Revitalized Peace Agreement. I appeal to the Parties who have not yet done so to ensure that all prisoners of war and political detainees are released immediately.

Excellences, Ladies and Gentlemen,

8. Even as we applaud the progress made so far, there are key targets required by the R-ARCSS Implementation Matrix that are yet to be achieved.

9. For example, key steps leading to the unification of the armed forces, and which were required to be undertaken during the Pre- Transitional Period, such as disengagement, separation, and cantonment of all the forces of the warring parties are yet to be implemented.

10. Furthermore, the establishment of Independent Boundaries Commission and the Technical Boundaries Committee, the formation of Joint Defense Board, and reconstitution of the Joint Military Ceasefire Commission, are yet to take place. In particular, we call on the regional guarantors and international partners who have not nominated their representatives to the organizations of the IBC and TBC to do so urgently, as stipulated in the R-ARCSS.

11.As part of its mandate, JMEC has publicly issued three implementation status reports. The reports provide details on activities which have been implemented, those that are pending, and offers recommendations on remedial actions necessary to expedite the implementation of the Revitalized Peace Agreement in the agreed timeline.

12.I am also happy to inform this Council that the first meeting for the reconstitution of JMEC is scheduled for Monday November 19, 2018 here in Addis Ababa. Subsequent meetings of RJMEC will be convened in Juba.

Excellences, Ladies and Gentlemen,

13.I wish to conclude with the following recommendations for the kind consideration by this Council:

• First, it is critical for the Parties and stakeholders to adhere to the timely implementation of its provisions. Therefore, the Council needs to consider appealing to the responsible Parties and actors to expedite the implementation of all aspects of the Agreement;

• Second, I appeal to the Council to urge the Parties to show their commitment to gender parity by ensuring that the required levels of women’s representation is respected. To date, the gender provision in Agreement Institutions has not been adhered to.

• Third, considering the current resource constraints in South Sudan, I urge that this Council sustains its diplomatic engagement with the AU, the UN, international partners and Friends of South Sudan and appeal for the technical and financial support necessary for the implementation of the R- ARCSS;

• Fourth, that this Council considers providing political guidance in the establishment of the Independent Boundaries Commission and the Technical Boundaries Committee, which have not yet been established and are running out of time. 

• Last but not least, this Council needs to prevail upon the South Sudanese stakeholders who are not signatory to the Revitalized Agreement to join in its implementation.

14. In conclusion, I reiterate my appreciation to this Council for delivering the long-awaited framework for peace in the Republic of South Sudan. In particular I recognize the role played by IGAD Heads of State and Government, and the IGAD Special Envoy for steering the revitalization process to its conclusion.

15. I also appreciate the goodwill and support from all regional and international partners and Friends of South Sudan for their solidarity with IGAD and South Sudan, and for the sustained efforts to revitalize the 2015 Peace Agreement.

16. Although the success of the revitalized 2018 peace agreement lies with all of us, ultimately the onus of its implementation rests with the South Sudanese parties and stakeholders.

God bless you. God bless South Sudan! I thank you.

The Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC) yesterday met with the leadership of South Sudanese Opposition Alliance (SSOA) to discuss their membership and composition of the Joint Defence Board (JDB).

The meeting was convened by JMEC and attended by officials from the Office of the IGAD Special Envoy for South Sudan. The meeting followed a disagreement within the National Pre-Transitional Committee (NPTC) on the correct interpretation of Article 2.4.2 of the R-ACRSS 2018 on nominations to the JDB.

In discussions led by JMEC Interim Chairperson Ambassador Lt. Gen. Augostino S.K. Njoroge, the SSOA leader H.E. Gabriel Changson Chang and his fellow-members of the Alliance reached a common understanding. 

The Chairperson Lt. Gen. Njoroge said: “It was encouraging to see the spirit of openness and cooperation we had at this meeting. SSOA showed their unwavering support for the agreement, and were prepared to be flexible to abide by our impartial interpretation of provisions of the revitalized agreement.”  

The SSOA’s membership nominees to the JDB will be duly submitted to JMEC without delay, now that all outstanding issues surrounding the matter have been cleared up.

“The matter of security is essential in the ongoing implementation of the revitalized agreement, and today was a measure of how seriously SSOA takes it. For the part of JMEC, we are pleased to continue in our role of facilitating wherever we can, to ensure implementation continues without undue delay,” Lt. Gen. Njoroge added. 

The Secretariat of the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC) has the honour to inform the Parties to the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS), other South Sudanese stakeholders, the regional and international community and the public at large that the Chairperson of the IGAD Council of Ministers, H.E Dr. Workneh Gebeyehu has appointed the current JMEC Deputy Chairperson, Ambassador Lt General Augostino S.K Njoroge to continue as Deputy Chairperson of R-JMEC and to act as the Chairperson of the JMEC until a new Chairperson is appointed by the IGAD Assembly of Heads of State and Government. 

The following was delivered by JMEC Acting Chairperson Ambassador Lt. Gen. Augostino Njoroge on 7 November 2018 at a breakfast meeting of the South Sudan Center for Strategic and Policy Studies. The event was arranged to examine the issue of confidence-building and laying the foundations for sustainable peace in South Sudan.

Opening

Since its inception in 2015, JMEC’s role has consisted of monitoring, evaluating, and reporting on the status of implementation of the peace agreement. However, our continuous oversight of the implementation of the agreement and the special deliberations of the six working committees of JMEC, made it clear that there were serious lacunae in the implementation of the agreement.

This is why the then-JMEC Chairperson H.E. Festus Mogae recommended the revitalization of the peace agreement. Accordingly, through exhaustive mapping of the stakeholders and understanding of the failures of 2015, JMEC was able to substantively contribute to the development of the 2018 revitalized agreement which was signed by the parties in September 2018. 

JMEC’s opinion is that currently, the political environment has improved to the extent that the revitalized agreement can be implemented in a way which was not possible for the 2015 peace agreement. The commitment of the government and the Parties is stronger now. However, it still requires an ongoing process of confidence- and trust-building measures on the part of all Parties, and also the regional and international stakeholders. 

Following are the key points or opportunities that JMEC has identified and recommends.

At the level of South Sudan

1. In addition to the President of South Sudan’s confidence building measures already undertaken, the President as a national leader should continue to constructively engage all stakeholders and Parties to the agreement to ensure that each party fulfils what it agreed to do in signing the revitalized agreement.

2. Together and in a spirit of unity, the President and the leaders of the Opposition should travel throughout the country and advocate for peace and reconciliation to the people of South Sudan.

3. The value of traditional leaders and chiefs must be recognized and factored in to the implementation process through various confidence-building mechanisms. 

4. The existing National Dialogue can be instrumental to the implementation process, but it should be genuine and inclusive to serve as a building block in the pursuit of trust building.

5. Traditional South Sudanese conflict resolution mechanisms and inter-tribal dialogue practices should be used to deepen understanding and contribute to the full implementation of the agreement. Academia, researchers and other experienced practitioners should be involved to provide recommendations and examples of best practice.

6. The Parties should collectively show the determination and necessary political will to take action against spoilers from whatever angle they come. There should be alignment of message and action of the Parties to counter forces that seek to disrupt or delay implementation. 

7. The Parties should ensure that all the remaining political detainees and prisoners of war are released, and those with criminal cases are given transparent and timely due process.

8. For confidence building purposes, we recommend to officially announce the lifting of state of emergency, to ensure that the political space needed for exercising the individual’s democratic rights and freedom of speech are in place, and the role of a responsible media is duly recognised. 

9. The Parties should examine the mistakes of the recent past, draw lessons, and develop early-warning mechanisms to avoid the triggers that lead to the conflict of July 2016.

10. The Church and faith-based leaders, eminent personalities, and civil society, women’s and youth groups, should be given a prominent role in national reconciliation and the confidence-building effort. 

11. Lessons on national reconciliation and healing should be drawn from elsewhere on the continent and applied to the South Sudanese context.

At the regional and international level:

12. Regional and international guarantors should give their full support to the implementation of the agreement, including to the agreement institutions, through appropriate political and economic support. 

 All these measures, if properly implemented will create a conducive political, social, and economic environment for the people of South Sudan, especially refugees and internally displaced, to enjoy the dividends of peace.

The National Constitutional Amendment Committee (NCAC) held its first working meeting at JMEC offices in Juba on Monday, 5 November. The meeting was attended by representatives of all the parties in the reconstituted committee, including members of all the parties, women, youth and civil society. JMEC commends that representatives of the SPLM-IO and SSOA travelled from outside the country to attend. This is a welcome indicator of trust-building.

The NCAC is scheduled to meet continuously in Juba for the next three weeks. Its work is critical in laying the legal framework for the pre-transitional and transitional reforms. NCAC is mandated to incorporate the revitalized agreement into the transitional constitution, review security, political parties and election laws among other things.

Yesterday’s meeting followed the inaugural meeting in Khartoum on 22 October 2018, during which the modalities of NCAC’s work were discussed and a tentative schedule agreed on for the incorporation of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS) into the Transitional Constitution of the Republic of South Sudan (TCRSS) 2011 (Amended) 2018.

NCAC Chairman Gichara Kibara said: “The Committee’s meeting went well. This is indeed a positive and encouraging start to the work of the reconstituted Committee as we embark on undertaking our very critical role. We look forward to fruitful deliberations and we are optimistic that we will be able to achieve this important task.” 

The members of the committee are as follows: representatives of IGAD: two (2) - Chair and Deputy Chair; TGoNU: five; SPLM/A-IO: two; SSOA: one; FDs: one; Other Political Parties (OPP): one; Civil Society: one; Women: one; and Youth: one.