The Chairman said, “The President has seized a critical opportunity for national reconciliation; he has appealed for a spirit of forgiveness and togetherness; and he has set in motion a campaign to address the concerns and grievances of the South Sudanese people.

“I applaud the President’s leadership in this matter and we, JMEC, will support the National Dialogue in any way we can. The President has called for peace, unity, forgiveness and dialogue and this is undoubtedly a very good starting point for the New Year.”

Every month the JMEC Chairman presents his report to the Board members, including representatives of the Transitional Government of National Unity, South Sudanese Stakeholders, IGAD member states, the UN, the Troika (US, UK, Norway), China, EU and IPF partners.

Reports are also received from the Transitional Government of National Unity (TGoNU), Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring Mechanism (CTSAMM), Joint Military Ceasefire Commission (JMCC), Joint Integrated Police (JIP) and Strategic Defence and Security Review Board (SDSRB).

The Chairman also invited all JMEC members to consider their own verdict on the accomplishments of 2016 saying, “I invite us all to reflect on this past year – the achievements, the progress and also the many missed opportunities that have cost us dearly as we search for a durable peace in this country.

“We all know very well that our modest accomplishments have been outweighed by a number of squandered opportunities. Suffice to say, however, that, if it weren’t for the unfortunate events of July, we may very well have achieved something more substantial.

“As we approach Christmas, the message is one of ‘peace and goodwill to all people’ and that must be central in our message to all the people of South Sudan. We must all commit here and now to making 2017 a year of peaceful progress.”