Angelina Teny ‘hope’ US will reconsider decision to suspend funding to peace monitors

JUBA – South Sudan’s defense minister Angelina Teny has said that she hopes that the United States of America reconsider its decision to suspend funding to key peace monitoring mechanisms and called on the parties to renew commitment to the implementation of the revitalized agreement.

The United States this month announced that it has suspended funding to the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (R-JMEC) and the Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangement Monitoring and Verification Mechanism (CTSAMVM).

The powerful South Sudanese friend cited lack of will from the parties to the agreement to implement the 2018 peace agreement, but expressed continued willingness to support the people of South Sudan in achieving peace.

Speaking during an interview with Eye Radio this morning, Teny who is also the chairperson of the SPLM-IO national committee for defense said she hopes the US retract its decision and urged the parties to renew commitment to the peace implementation.

“I hope the US would reconsider their withdrawal of support from the monitoring mechanism of the peace agreement,” she said.

The senior government official said “the return of our people outside the country is highly dependent on the renewal of the pledge in the implementation of the peace agreement.”

“The implementation of the peace agreement is not going as expected. The biggest challenge is commitment and political will,” she stressed.