Juba, November 24th 2015, Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) has said the implementation of the Peace Agreement process during the Pre-transitional period is full of violations.
According to an evaluation conducted by the organization, out of 32 actions stipulated in the peace agreement implementation matrix during the pre-transitional period, only 6 actions were accomplished and CEPO realized that the pre-transition period is full of violation of the permanent ceasefire which was declared by the commanders in chief of the warring on 28th and 29th August 2015 respectively.
The violations of the permanent ceasefire started immediately on 30th August 2015 till today. CEPO realized that the pre-transition period has expired without any tangible action accomplished apart from the declaration of permanent ceasefire which was immediately violated, appointment of the Leaders of Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission and signing the permanent ceasefire and security arrangement including the government move for demilitarization of Juba. In conclusion CEPO findings show that only 19% of the expected actions for the implementation of the peace agreement per the implementation matrix were accomplished.
Mr. Edmund Yakani, Executive Director of CEPO says there has been no progressive achievement made in the pre-transitional period of the peace agreement and it is likely that same experience will be repeated in the Transitional period.
“The fear is that similar experiences may be witnessed during the transition period of the 30 months. The indication of the parties’ commitment for timely and effective implementation is disturbing and depressing. Three months of peace agreement implementation registered 19% progress out of the overall expected progress per the commitment of the parties and this is a clear indication of little political will for timely and effective implementation of the peace agreement”
Yakani further said IGAD and AU should double their efforts in making the signed peace agreement real. The past experience where peace agreement is signed today and dishonored the following day is getting real in South Sudan. This is strongly supplemented by the approach of IGAD and AU manner of lack of commitment for pressuring warring the parties to timely and effectively implements the peace agreement. This is demonstrated by how IGAD and AU keep on postponing the expected summit for fostering the implementation of the peace agreement.
The latest news about the second postponement of the IGAD summit in Juba is clear indicator on how the regional leaders’ interest is subjecting the lives of the innocent South Sudanese to suffering because of the East African Community summit and this has raised a lot of concern as to why South Sudanese should continue to suffer because of East Africa Community summit.
CEPO in strong terms urges the primary parties to the peace agreement namely the Government of South Sudan, SPLM-FD and the SPLM-IO to demonstrate political will for timely and effective implementation of the peace agreement. Dragging he process of actually implementation of the peace agreement is impacting negatively on the lives of the innocent citizens. Finally, the Pre-transition period experiences has achieved nothing in regards to the agreed upon actions per the agreement implementation matrix. The pre-transition period set depressive situation prior the transitional period.
