Yakani welcomes Kiir-Machar consensus on committee to develop peace roadmap

JUBA – South Sudan’s civil society organization, the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), has welcomed the decision by President Salva Kiir Mayardit to include other signatories of the revitalized peace agreement in the development of roadmap that would draw clear picture for implementation of remaining provisions of the 2018 peace deal.

On Thursday evening, the minister of cabinet affairs Martin Elia Lomuro said President Kiir and Machar decided to task a higher committee for adjustment of the proposed roadmap by President Salva Kiir to include other signatories to the revitalized peace agreement.

In a statement, the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) welcomed the latest development.

“Community Empowerment for Progress Organization welcomes this positive development of President and First Vice President agree to form a higher committee for making the process for the development of the roadmap inclusive,” the CEPO said in a statement extended to Sudans Post.

Edmund Yakani, the Executive Director of CEPO, welcomed the decision and said it is a good gesture for their call for the political leaders to come together in the interest of achieving peace once and for all in South Sudan.

“It is good that the President and First Vice President responded to our advocacy for inclusive process for developing the roadmap through consensus building as the spirit of implementing the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan,” Yakani said.

“Without inclusive process through consensus building any attempt to development the roadmap may not be accepted by all. It is good that now the President and First Vice President form a higher committee for the inclusive process for developing the roadmap,” he added.

Yakani stressed that “The committee formed and tasked by eth President and First Vice President should reach out to the stakeholders that were signatories to the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan for full inclusion of actors associated with the endorsement of the R-ARCSS. Legally triggering article 8.4 of R-ARCSS it means absolute observation of the principle of inclusivity and consensus building is essential. Being civil society as stakeholder to the R-ARCSS inclusion of our opinion is mandatory.”

The CEPO statement further urged the “formed committee to engage members of the stakeholders without any excuse or failure. CEPO is ready to organize stakeholders and the formed higher committee meeting for incorporation of inputs from the stakeholders and inputs generated from the citizens’ perspectives surveys

“Finally, CEPO is urging the formed higher committee for inclusive development of the roadmap to embrace transparent and inclusive process for endorsement of the roadmap.”