S. Sudan peace monitors urge gov’t to expedite graduation of unified forces

JUBA — South Sudan’s peace monitors are urging the unity government to immediately graduate the unified forces provided for in the revitalized peace agreement in order to help tackle escalating communal violence in some parts of the country.

The worrying trend of increased insecurity continues in Jonglei, Warrap, Lakes, and Upper Nile states.

The insecurities are related to communal and community-based violence.

Central Equatoria State continues to experience incidents of fighting between the SSPDF and National Salvation Front, a holdout opposition group which has recently been accused by the government of being behind civilian attacks along the highways.

Speaking at the 18th RJMEC monthly meeting on Thursday, Gen. Charles Tai Gituai, Interim Chairperson of the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (R-JMEC), said absence of the unified forces to tackle the ongoing ethnic conflicts pose threat to the 2018 peace deal.

“These insecurities cause considerable civilian harm, including fatalities and pose threat to the ongoing stability of South Sudan,” Gen. Tai said.

The retired Kenyan army commander who has served in several peace mission across the continent stressed that completion of the security sector reform provided for in the 2018 revitalized peace agreement will help address the conflict.

“The completion of unification forces and Transitional Security Arrangements will help address the conflicts as would the establishment of the state security committees across the country,” Tai said.

He called on political parties in South Sudan to strive to break the deadlock over the ratio of the unified command structure necessary for overseeing the graduation of the Necessary Unified Forces (NUF).

“I appeal to the parties to urgently resolve the issue of the ratio of the unified forces and the unified command structure of the Necessary Unified Forces,” he stated.

The R-JMEC Chairman stressed the need for the parties to continue the dialogue, trust, and confidence-building among themselves to resolve outstanding issues on security arrangement.

“I also urge the RTGONU, in a spirit of addressing the insecurity in the country to complete the unification of forces and the transitional security arrangement and establish the state security committee across the country,” he added.