Communication Office

PRESS RELEASE

(For Immediate Publication)

Thursday, 28 October 2021, Juba, South Sudan

Reconstitute the State Legislatures to enable them to perform their subnational duties; Critical concern remains on the Transitional Security Arrangements

The Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC) held its 19thmonthly meeting, today October 28, 2021 in Juba. 

At the meeting, RJMEC Interim Chairperson Maj. Gen. Charles Tai Gituai called on the RTGoNU (Revitalised Transitional Government of National Unity) to expedite the reconstitution of the state legislaturesas stipulated in the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS), in order to enable them perform their subnational duties.

“A properly functioning government requires the full cooperation of the three branches of government, the executive, the legislative and the judiciary, at both the national and subnational levels,” he said.

General Gituai reiterated his call for the RTGoNU to reconstitute the Commissions and Institutions, such as the National Audit Chamber and the Anti-Corruption Commission as per Articles 4.4 and 4.5 of the R-ARCSS at the national level, as envisaged in the Peace Agreement.

While the RJMEC Chair noted that some progress has been made in the areas of governance, economics, transitional justice, and the permanent constitution-making process, a critical concern remains on the Transitional Security Arrangements, especially the unification of forces, their redeployment and the DDR process, which he said, is the backbone of the Agreement. 

He appealed to the leadership of the Parties to urgently resolve the issue of the ratio of the unified forces and the unified command structure of the Necessary Unified Forces (NUF).

According to UNOCHA (United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs), there are 700,000 people affected by flooding in 27 counties across eight states since May 2021, with the worst affected States reported as being Jonglei, Unity, Northern Bahr el Ghazal and Upper Nile.  

“Over two-thirds of the flood-affected counties are confronted with high levels of food insecurity, poor access to basic services and face the threat of water borne diseases,”said Gen. Gituai.

“The scale of humanitarian need in South Sudan should focus our minds on the urgency of establishing the overdue Special Reconstruction Fund (SRF), which is clearly much needed. I urge the RTGoNU to work closely with international partners to establish the Board of the SRF without further delay,” he added.

Furthermore, General Gituai said, the safety of humanitarian workers remains a major concern, which, he added, involve violence and threats against personnel and assets,” 

“I would like to urge the RTGoNU and all concerned parties to ensure the protection and safety of aid workers to enable the delivery of much needed humanitarian services,” he said.  

He concluded, “I reiterate my concern that we are already behind the agreed timelines and the implementation schedule. According to the timelines of the Agreement, it is 16 months to the end of the Transitional Period. Despite all that has been achieved, a lot remains to be done.”

ENDS