The remarks were made on Thursday by U.S. Ambassador Michael J. Adler during a briefing organized by the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission in Juba. Adler delivered the statement on behalf of the United States and its Troika partners, the United Kingdom and Norway.
“Peace is our priority in South Sudan. Peace requires a return to genuine interparty dialogue,” Adler said.
He rejected assertions that dialogue among the parties to the peace agreement is taking place, describing such claims as “farcical” while Machar, who leads the second-largest party to the 2018 peace agreement, remains in detention.
“It is farcical to say that interparty dialogue is occurring, when First Vice President Machar, the head of the second largest party to the 2018 peace agreement, is under home arrest and on trial,” Adler said.
The U.S. also acknowledged shortcomings in the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS), saying years of delayed implementation have exposed a persistent lack of political commitment among its signatories.
“Let us be clear, the 2018 agreement is imperfect. That has been repeatedly demonstrated since its signing, including by the clear signs of lack of political will by its signatories to implement it,” Adler said.
Despite those weaknesses, Adler stressed that the agreement remains the legal and political foundation of South Sudan’s Transitional Government of National Unity, warning that any amendments must be negotiated collectively by all parties that signed the accord.
He maintained that no political process could be considered legitimate if one of the key stakeholders is excluded.
“However, the agreement remains the basis for the legitimacy of the transitional government. Any changes must be made through dialogue involving all parties to the agreement,” he said.
Adler added that the United States has consistently maintained that any dialogue conducted without Machar and the other peace partners cannot be regarded as credible.
“As we have noted, dialogue cannot be said to be authentically taking place without inclusion of all parties to the agreement, including Riek Machar,” he said.
The latest remarks underpin growing concern among South Sudan’s Western partners over the country’s political direction, as the detention of Machar continues to cast doubt over efforts to revive implementation of the peace agreement and prepare the country for a democratic transition.
Mr Machar was arrested and detained in March alongside seven senior members of his party, including the Minister of Petroleum Puot Kang Chol, after they were charged with treason following the Nasir fighting that killed a senior commander of the SSPDF and dozens of soldiers.
They remained in detention and under trial despite sustained calls from regional and international communities for their release.
