PRESS RELEASE
(For Immediate Publication)
November 28, 2017, Juba, South Sudan
JMEC DEPUTY CHAIRMAN: “the path to peace firmly grounded on values of Peace, Justice and Reconciliation”
The Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC) has emphasized that “We must all do better in correcting the mistakes of the past and ensuring that the path to peace is firmly grounded on values of peace, justice and reconciliation” JMEC Deputy Chairperson, Amb. Lt. Gen. Augostino Njoroge said.
He was speaking on Tuesday during an Inter-Faith Council for Peace Initiative Conference in Yambio, Gbudue State.
The three-day conference themed “Peace Within and Across Borders” convened by the Interfaith Council for Peace Initiative led by the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Tombura, Reverend Edwardo Hiibiro Kussala. It was organized for representatives of nine neighboring states namely Yei River, Amadi, Wau, Meridi, Rumbek, Tonji, Gok, Tombura and Gbudue.
In attendance, were the SRSG for South Sudan Mr David Shearer who gave the keynote address, the Archbishop of the Episcopal Churches of South Sudan Peter Munde, State Governors, Ministers and Speakers among other stakeholders.
Applauding the initiative by the faith leaders, Amb. Njoroge said, “We salute you for leading the way in inter-communal dialogue as you build bridges across your state borders towards peace and social harmony and economic development for all South Sudanese communities.”
“There is a lot of faith placed in the Church to lead the way in seeking solutions to inter-ethnic and other conflicts, as well as in the promotion of tolerance and reconciliation” He added.
“We are all painfully aware of how continued fighting has worsened the economic and humanitarian situation. The number of people in need of humanitarian assistance is now higher than when the Peace Agreement was signed in August 2015 - a fact which the Inter-Faith Council for Peace Initiative seeks to address,” the Deputy Chairperson said.
Since the signing of the Peace Agreement, the Deputy Chairperson noted, implementation of its key provisions “has not lived up to the expectations of citizens or the regional and international partners that support the process.”
“In an attempt to address this, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) has engaged in consultations with key Parties and South Sudanese stakeholders in preparation for a High Level Revitalization Forum intended to reach agreement on steps to reinvigorate implementation of the Peace Agreement.”
Calling on all the stakeholders the Deputy Chairperson said, “we must all work together to achieve the ultimate goal of sustainable peace in South Sudan”.
ENDS
PRESS RELEASE
(FOR IMMEDIATE PUBLICATION)
20 November 2017, Juba, South Sudan
JMEC CHAIRMAN: “LET US HONOUR THE HEROIC MEMORY OF THOSE WHO FOUGHT AND DIED FOR THIS YOUNG NATION.”
At the opening of the November JMEC Plenary in Juba, JMEC Chairman, H.E. Festus Mogae, recalled the sacrifice made by the people to create South Sudan and called for their heroic memory to be honoured.
The Chairman said, “Ten days ago, millions of people around the world stood in silence for two minutes in an annual act of remembrance of those who fought and died in the two world wars of the 20th century.
“The people of South Sudan will closely associate with the idea of fighting for freedom and commemorating those close relatives and friends of every community and every region who gave their lives for a better tomorrow.
“The questions on the lips of every South Sudanese should be – how do we secure that ‘better tomorrow’ and deliver peace and prosperity for all? And how do we honour the sacrifice made by our brothers and sisters?
“Let us now honour all those South Sudanese men and women, who stood resolutely side by side for decades and fought and died for this young nation. It is in their name and heroic memory that we strive for peace and prosperity for all.”
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 International Partners Forum and Friends of South Sudan.
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), Strategic Defence and Security Review Board (SDSRB) and the National Constitutional Amendment Committee (NCAC).
With regard to the proposed IGAD-led revitalisation process, the JMEC Chairman said, “There is a need for the region to approach revitalisation unified and with strength of purpose. Collectively, the IGAD Heads of State must prevail over the South Sudanese leadership to rethink the current trajectory of the country and take the necessary steps to restore peace and inclusive governance.
“As we await IGAD’s detailed plan for the High Level Revitalisation Forum, I call upon us all to remain focused on the desperate plight of the people of this country.
“For them, we must stop the fighting, end the violence, deal with criminality, prevent sexual and human rights abuses, ameliorate human suffering and address the economic crisis.”
ENDS
The Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC) has on Wednesday begun an orientation and review workshop on the Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict of South Sudan (ARCSS) for youth representatives in South Sudan.
Speaking during the official opening of the two-day workshop in Juba on Wednesday, JMEC Deputy Chairperson Amb. Lt. Gen. Augostino Njoroge said it is essential for the youth in the country to understand the ARCSS and its implementation process “in a more detailed and informed way”.
The workshop involved Chapter-by-Chapter presentations and review of the Agreement and in-depth discussions of the role the youth can play in forging the implementation of the 2015 Agreement forward.
In his remarks, Amb. Njoroge said, evaluation reports by six JMEC Working Committees show that the permanent ceasefire “has been and continues to be violated by all the Parties with impunity and as such security has deteriorated to a critical level.”
“Violations reported to both SPLA-IG and SPLA-IO have not been addressed. JMEC continues to urge all the warring parties to stop the fighting so that other critical aspects of the ARCSS may move forward,” he said.
The Deputy Chairperson also said the planned IGAD-led revitalization forum and the ongoing plans towards the process “offers an opportunity for the leaders of all communities (in South Sudan) to sit together to agree on how to end the violence and determine the way forward”.
The workshop brought together about 40 youth representatives drawn from various organizations in the capital, Juba.
“JMEC acknowledges the need to promote inclusivity and popular ownership of the ARCSS among different stakeholders and we believe that you (the youth) and the many young people you represent are a critical link in this quest,” he said.
“Our goal is the realization of enduring peace, stability and democracy in the Republic of South Sudan. We hope this workshop will contribute to empowering you (the youth), to effectively participate, advocate and strategically engage all the parties and other stakeholders, to ensure its full implementation.”
PRESS RELEASE
27 October 2017, Juba, South Sudan
JMEC Publishes ARCSS Evaluation Report
JMEC has today, Friday 27th October, published the September 2017 ARCSS Evaluation Report.
Click here to view and download the report on our new-look website - http://www.jmecsouthsudan.org/index.php/reports/arcss-evaluation-reports
JMEC remains fully focused on its mandate to monitor and evaluate the implementation of the Peace Agreement and to support IGAD.
The JMEC Working Committees, comprising regional and international guarantors, the TGoNU and other South Sudanese stakeholders, have undertaken a comprehensive evaluation of the status of implementation of the Peace Agreement complete with observations and recommendations.
This evaluation report has been presented to IGAD pursuant to our mandate and is expected to contribute to ensuring a successful High Level Revitalisation Forum by enabling the Parties, the region and all South Sudanese stakeholders to pursue the revitalisation process from an informed point of view.
PRESS RELEASE
18 October 2017, Juba, South Sudan
JMEC CHAIRMAN WELCOMES REVITALISATION PROGRESS, SAYS "WORLD IS WATCHING WITH HIGH EXPECTATIONS".
At the opening of the October JMEC Plenary in Juba, JMEC Chairman, H.E. Festus Mogae, welcomed the progress made within the IGAD-led revitalisation process and announced the imminent publication of a comprehensive evaluation of the status of implementation of the Peace Agreement.
The Chairman said, “I am delighted to hear from the IGAD Special Envoy, Ambassador Ismail Wais, that positive progress has been made and that all Parties consulted have approached the process in a constructive and peaceful frame of mind. I thank all those who took part.
"After more than a year of unacceptable turmoil and unimaginable distress suffered by millions of South Sudanese, this revitalisation process offers an opportunity for the leaders of all communities to sit together, bring the violence to an end and determine a political path forward.
"The people of South Sudan hope and pray for peace and stability and the world is watching with high expectations.
"I encourage them all Parties to take the necessary steps and compromises to revitalise the implementation of the Peace Agreement without further delay and deliver a lasting solution to the conflict in South Sudan."
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 International Partners Forum and Friends of South Sudan.
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), Strategic Defence and Security Review Board (SDSRB) and the National Constitutional Amendment Committee (NCAC).
With regard to the JMEC ARCSS evaluation report, the JMEC Chairman said, “Our evaluation report will be presented to IGAD pursuant to our mandate and will form part of our contribution to ensuring a successful High Level Revitalisation Forum.
"Fundamental to the whole report is the irrefutable fact that the permanent ceasefire has been and continues to be violated by all the Parties with impunity and as such security has deteriorated to a critical level.
"I have previously described implementation of the Peace Agreement as being “modest, at best” and from the evaluation reports presented I have heard nothing to change my view."
PRESS RELEASE
October 05, 2017, Juba
NCAC holds stakeholder’s forum on South Sudan security laws.
The National Constitutional Amendment Committee (NCAC) has on Thursday held a key stakeholders forum to review South Sudan’s national security laws.
The forum was called to discuss proposed amendments presented by the NCAC and receive feedback and inputs from the stakeholders, who are drawn from the security forces, the parties to the 2015 Peace Agreement, civil society organizations, United Nations and various other experts.
The laws in focus are the SPLA Act (2009), the Police Service Act (2011), National Security Act (2014), the Prisons Service Act (2011), and the Wildlife Act (2011).
Speaking during the opening of the forum, the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC) Deputy Chairperson Amb. Gen. Augostino Njoroge lauded the efforts by the NCAC to amend and review laws to conform to the 2015 Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (ARCSS).
“In the process of developing amendments to the laws, the Committee adopted a very participatory process which includes consultations with the security institutions and holding an experts meeting,” he said.
The Committee, chaired by constitutional lawyer Mr. Gichira Kibara, will thereafter consider the input by the stakeholders and where necessary revise the proposed amendments before incorporating them into the draft bills to be presented to the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs.
The amendments will also be presented to the Transitional National Legislative Assembly (TNLA) for debate and subsequent enactment.
Amb. Njoroge said amendment to both the Constitution and the law by the NCAC, “are vital to the effective implementation of the Agreement”.
NCAC, whose mandate is derived from the ARCSS, has already finalized and submitted the Constitutional Amendment Bill to the Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs. The Committee has also commenced work on the Political Parties Act and the Elections Act.
On his part, Minister for Defence and Veteran Affairs, Hon. Kuol Manyang Juuk, who officially opened the one-day forum, said the successful implementation of the legal regulatory framework will add credibility to the broader calls for reform within the security forces in South Sudan.
“The fact that we have come thus far, despite the delays hitherto encountered, demonstrates our collective commitments not only to the transformation of the security forces, but also to the honest quest for peace, security and development in this country. Those are fundamental steps towards the implementation of the ARCSS,” he said.
“The review of all the documents related to the security sector is of the utmost priority. This is because there is an urgent need to accelerate and rectify all the amendments and make them into functional laws and transform the security forces into a professional and disciplined force.”
The Minister called on the Parties and stakeholders to agree on timelines to submit their proposals in order to accelerate the constitutional amendment process.
PRESS RELEASE
29 September 2017, Juba, South Sudan
JMEC: South Sudan women real agents for peaceful transformation
There is an urgent need to enhance women’s role in the effective implementation of the Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (ARCSS), the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC) has said.
JMEC Chairperson H.E. Festus Mogae said, “I am a firm believer in the ability and power that women have to make real contributions to sustainable peace in any country. It now widely acknowledged that women are real agents of peaceful transformation in communities the world over. South Sudanese women are no exception.“
He added “The Peace Agreement concerns all citizens of South Sudan and they must have ownership over it. You, as the peoples’ representatives and are best placed to make this a reality,”
The Chairperson was addressing members of the Women Parliamentary Caucus (WPC) in South Sudan, during a workshop on the ARCSS, in Juba yesterday.
“I urge you to hold the parties accountable as pertains to women’s participation and engagement in ARCSS institutions and processes. You as Members of Parliament have a voice that you can deploy to advance gender equality,” the Chairperson urged the Members of the Transitional National Legislative Assembly (TNLA).
The one-day workshop was intended increase understanding by the WPC members on the ARCSS and creates space and opportunity for them to discuss their role in the implementation of the Peace Agreement.
Women parliamentarians (106 in the current TNLA) are a significant constituency for the implementation of the ARCSS and their role in monitoring implementation is central to ensuring fidelity to the Agreement.
PRESS RELEASE
27 September 2017, Juba, South Sudan
JMEC: Credible elections not feasible in South Sudan
Due to mass displacement, severe food insecurity and total lack of institutional and constitutional infrastructure, credible elections will not be feasible in South Sudan at the end of the current transitional period, the Chairperson of the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC), has said.
Addressing the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Tuesday, H.E. Festus Mogae said there is “irrefutable fact that the permanent ceasefire has been and continues to be violated by all the Parties with impunity” and that “security has deteriorated to a critical level” with six million people now reported to be severely food insecure.
Further, Mogae noted, whilst some progress has been made in the implementation of the 2015 Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (ARCSS), “it is greatly disappointing” that after two years, several transitional institutions and mechanisms have not been established.
The institutions include the Special Reconstruction Fund, the Economic and Financial Management Authority, the Compensation and Reparations Authority, and other key transitional justice institutions.
“Most importantly, there has been no progress whatsoever in the Permanent Constitution-making process,” the Chairperson said.
The Chairperson of JMEC was addressing the New York-based UNSC via video-conference from Juba.
Mogae reaffirmed his call that the IGAD-led High Level Revitalization Forum expected to be held in the coming weeks remains “the best opportunity” to restore peace and rebuild governance in South Sudan.
“There is a fundamental need for a demonstration of political will by the Parties to undertake their responsibility to implement the provisions of the Peace Agreement. All forms of obstruction to the delivery of humanitarian aid must be removed,” he added.
“The Transitional Government of National Unity (TGoNU) must expedite and conclude the constitutional and legislative amendments and initiate without further delay the Permanent Constitution-making process.”
PRESS RELEASE
25 September 2017, Juba, South Sudan
JMEC to hold evaluation review workshop on the status of implementation of the ARCSS
South Sudan is yet to enjoy the peace dividends that the Agreement of the Resolution on the Conflict in South Sudan (ARCSS) was expected to deliver, the Chairperson of the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC) has said.
The Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC) will on Monday hold an evaluation review workshop on the status of the implementation of the Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (ARCSS).
The Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC) has reiterated its call for a unified regional, continental and global approach towards the full implementation of the South Sudan Peace Agreement.