The Chairman of the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC) Festus Mogae has announced that he will visit more South Sudanese states as early as next week, in pursuit of implementation of the peace agreement signed in August.

Mogae, the former president of Botswana, is charged with overseeing the Ceasefire Monitoring Mechanism and supporting the process of setting up other transitional institutions.

In a speech prepared for the occasion of the second meeting of JMEC taking place today in Juba, Mogae announced his hopes for a lasting peace, stressing that the peace agreement is “real” and “meaningful.”

“Next week, I intend to visit more states – in Greater Bahr el Ghazal and in Greater Upper Nile – to reach out further to the leaders and citizens of South Sudan, and to demonstrate that this process is real and its steps are meaningful,” Mogae stated, according to the prepared text of his speech.

Mogae did not specify which states he would visit. Already in November he took a trip to Bor, the capital of Jonglei State and one of the main battlegrounds in late 2013 and early 2014.

He added, “I hope, that in the near future, the leadership of both the Parties will also join me in such initiatives. Following that visit, it is my hope that we can meet again as a Commission [JMEC] in early January to review progress and take further steps to accelerate implementation of the Agreement.”

Mogae pointed out, “There is skepticism in many quarters that peace has really come, and there are understandable doubts, that can only be addressed by meaningful action. To the people of South Sudan, in this season of hope, forgiveness and renewal, it is my sincere hope that this Christmas, 2015, is the last celebrated in a context of conflict. The greatest gift that could be presented to the people of South Sudan by its leaders is the gift of peace and the promise of reconciliation and healing.”

“As Chairperson of JMEC, I pledge to you my commitment to ensure this Agreement succeeds, and be implemented in letter and spirit. I will not hesitate to work with every Party represented here, every Stakeholder, to strive for peace, accountability and reform,” he said.

The JMEC chairman further revealed the agenda for the JMEC meetings today, tomorrow and Thursday, including setting up of the Joint Military Ceasefire Commission, the Joint Operations Centre, and the National Constitutional Amendment Committee, and to move forward the process of selecting ministerial portfolios for the transitional government.