A civil society organization, the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), has called for the planned retreat of the South Sudanese peace partners to be hosted by Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni to be fast-tracked, a press release said.
The organization called for openness during the proposed retreat and said the meeting is timely and essential for generating concrete decisions for transitioning the country from violence to peace
“This proposed South Sudan leaders retreat should be urgently done. CEPO is calling for transparency in this process. It is essential to keep the public informed about the process of the South Sudan leaders’ retreat in Uganda,” the CEPO statement read. “Silence or secrecy about the proposed retreat is demoralizing to the public. CEPO, with respect, is urging the Ugandan leadership to engage in public information about the proposed South Sudan leaders retreat in Uganda.”
Edmund Yakani, the CEPO executive director, said the move by the Ugandan president is impressive and timely.
“It is important for the Ugandan leadership to keep South Sudanese regularly and accurately informed about the proposed retreat,” Yakani advised. “Public information about the proposed…retreat is sealed and kept away from public information media channels in South Sudan or Uganda. This is disturbing.”
He urged the South Sudanese leaders should take the proposed retreat seriously and as the only opportunity at hand for renewal of the pledge for successfully transitioning the country from violence to peace through the genuine implementation of the peace deal.
“The decisions that will be reached during the proposed retreat should be centered on the followings matters; genuine transitional security arrangements implementation with effective consensus on the unification of command and ranks, effective DDR for easing unified forces graduation; proper preparation for a conducive environment for the conduct of non-violent elections,” CEPO’s statement said.
Yakani said the retreat should also tackle the issue of the enactment of necessary laws and reforms to move the country forward.
“This includes enactment of political and electoral related laws and reforms of political and electoral institutions with effective commitment for unrestrictive civic space for civic engagement; commitment to further engage for effective financial and economic reforms and making a decision on the matter of refugees and IDPs participation in the political process,” Yakani stressed.
He urged the Ugandan president to influence the parties to respect the ceasefire agreement because serious violations have been registered recently.
“CEPO is urging the leadership of the parties invited to the proposed retreat to disclose to the public information about the process in terms of when it is happening and what the agenda is,” the statement concluded.