Norway, the UK, Germany, Canada, the Netherlands, and the US have chastised the South Sudan transitional government for failure to create the conditions for peaceful and credible elections.
The partners expressed the sentiments in a joint press release on Friday, commemorating the 20th Anniversary of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in South Sudan.
They said the failure include fostering the civic and political space needed to give the people of South Sudan a voice in their country’s future.
“January 9 marked the 20th anniversary of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). Our governments welcomed this historic agreement, including its provision for a referendum in which the people of what is today South Sudan would determine their own future.
“The CPA was signed amidst great hope that the South Sudanese people would be able to enjoy peace, human rights, and a government responsive to their needs,” reads the press release.
It regretted that that despite South Sudan’s tremendous natural resources, the country’s wealth continued to benefit only small elite.
“For years, the transitional government has failed to use public revenue transparently to pay public sector salaries, ensure access to basic health and education services, or create an enabling environment for sustainable development. Corruption and mismanagement of natural resources are rampant.”
The partners renewed their call on the transitional government to act with urgency to meet its long overdue commitments so that South Sudan can finally realize the CPA’s promise of peace and prosperity for all its citizens.
The Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), signed in 2005 between the government of Sudan and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army/Movement (SPLA/M), granted Southern Sudan autonomy and paved the way for a referendum on independence in 2011.