A high-level joint delegation of peace monitors is calling on South Sudanese leaders to pursue dialogue among themselves and return to the full implementation of the 2018 peace agreement.

The Special Representative of the Chairperson and Head of the AU Mission in South Sudan, H.E. Amb. Prof. Joram Biswaro, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the UN Mission in South Sudan, Prof. Nicholas Haysom, Special Envoy of IGAD for South Sudan, H.E. Amb. Dr Ismail Wais, and Interim Chairperson of the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC) H.E. Maj. Gen. Charles Tai Gituai (rtd), held two days of consultations with the Presidency of the Republic of South Sudan on recent matters of concern in the country.

UNMISS in a statement said they met President Salva Kiir on Wednesday and First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny, on Thursday and encouraged them to recommit to peace by de-escalating the heightened political tensions in Juba. 

"The delegation encouraged the reaffirmation by both the President and the First Vice President that they would not return the country to war, urging them to de-escalate the heightened political tensions, dialogue amongst themselves to address any concerns and return to full implementation of the Agreement," the statement reads in part. "In the meeting with the President, the delegation acknowledged his intervention through the news conference of Monday 28 March 2022, which helped reduce the anxieties in Juba and across the country."

The delegation underlined the importance for the members of the Presidency to recommit to the full implementation of the 2018 Peace Agreement and urged them to fulfill their commitments in order to demonstrate to the nation their true desire for peace. 

The delegation welcomed the parties' preparedness and willingness to meet and discuss their differences in the implementation of the Agreement and encouraged them to uphold dialogue and improve the communication between and among members of the Presidency.

It encouraged the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army in Opposition (SPLM/A-IO) to rescind its suspension of participation in the Agreement institutions and mechanisms, including RJMEC and CTSAMVM. 

Furthermore, it underscored the seriousness of the surge in intercommunal violence, which serves to undermine security throughout the country.

"With only 11 months of the Transitional Period remaining, the delegation highlighted the pending tasks of the Agreement, such as the unification of forces, the constitution-making process, and preparations for elections, and urged the transitional government to develop a roadmap to set out how to complete what needs to be implemented before the end of the Transitional Period," the statement added.

Political and security tensions have been heightening in the country following the suspension of participation of SPLM/A-IO representatives from the Agreement institutions and mechanisms, and the overall slow implementation of the R-ARCSS. 

The delegation also met Vice Presidents Rebecca Nyandeng de Mabior, Dr. Wani Igga, and Gen. Taban Deng Gai.