South Sudan Independent Peace Agreement Monitoring (SSIPAM) group said Thursday that sanctions on South Sudan's top government and rebel leaders could help implementation of the peace agreement.

The South Sudan Independent Peace Monitoring (SSIPAM) is a group of civil society, faith-based organizations and academics who launched an initiative to monitor the implementation of the peace deal signed last August.

During the launch of their report on the pre-transitional period yesterday at Central Equatoria Women's Union, the group said in a statement that sanctions on Kirr and Machar would put pressure for peace, in spite of the risks of doing so.

“The sanctions may derail peace but also may help because when you put pressure, the pressure may helps sometimes,” SSIPAM said.

“Yes, it might derail the peace but is the peace being implemented? That is the first question that we need to ask. We need to read the report as citizens. I want say here without fear of contradiction that let us not be confused by the rhetoric of our politicians in this country.”

The report analysis and recommendations and research on the progress of the implementation of the peace agreement were carried by University of Juba Center for Peace and Development studies with contributions from civil society members.

The organization also recommended extension of the pre-transitional period for another three months for confidence-building among the South Sudanese political leaders and people.

The report comes after the two main parties to the agreement failed to form a transitional government by the deadline and failed to complete the partial demilitarization of Juba.

 “The good thing is that the South Sudanese they have accepted suffering – as they say in American politics or black politics, suffer peacefully – so they have accepted to suffer peacefully,” the organization added.

 “The good thing is that the South Sudanese they have accepted suffering – as they say in American politics or black politics, suffer peacefully – so they have accepted to suffer peacefully,” the organization added.

File photo: UN Security Council meeting in New York

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S Sudan govt says UN sanctions threat is attempt at regime change (27 Jan.)

UN panel names Kiir, Malong, Machar and Akol Kur for directing violence (26 Jan.)