South Sudan reacts to U.S suspension of funding to peace monitoring mechanisms

JUBA – South Sudan government is saying that progress in the implementation of the revitalized peace agreement is being made and urged the United States of America to reconsider its decision in suspending funding to peace monitoring mechanisms.

This week, the United States of America said that it is suspending its funding to the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (R-JMEC) and Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangement, Monitoring and Verification and Mechanism (CTSAMVM).

The US government, which has channeled millions of dollars to support the peace process in South Sudan said it is disappointed at the South Sudan leaders for unwillingness to implement the agreement in order to restore peace to their people.

“Due to the lack of sustained progress on the part of South Sudan’s leaders, and following consultation with Congress, the United States is ending support for the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission and the Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring and Verification Mechanism,” US State Department said Friday in a statement.

“South Sudan’s leaders have not fully availed themselves of the support these monitoring mechanisms provide and have demonstrated a lack of political will necessary to implement critical reforms,” it added.

But South Sudan cabinet minister Martin Elia Lomuro described the US decision as unfortunate and claimed that a progress was being made in the implementation of the agreement and that the parties have developed a roadmap for the implementation of the remaining provisions of the 2018 peace deal.

“It is unfortunate the Americans have taken the decision at the time significant progress has been made.  You know the leadership of the unified command structure has been formed. We now have the command structure reflecting all the faces of everybody,” he said.

“A timetable has been drawn to graduate the soldiers in the training camps. The constitution-making process is processed and the security-related bills, all these which are being cited as the reasons or the other have seen significant progress,” he added.