The Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC) announced on Sunday the appointment of Ambassador Major General (rtd) George Aggrey Owinow as the new interim chairperson of the commission.
RJMEC was established under the 2018 peace agreement to oversee and monitor the implementation of the accord in South Sudan.
In a statement issued by RJMEC and seen by Radio Tamazuj, it was confirmed that Ambassador Owinow was nominated by the Government of Kenya and later endorsed by the East African regional bloc IGAD. He succeeds Ambassador Major General (rtd) Charles Tai Gituai, who has held the position since August 2020.
Ambassador Owinow brings a distinguished military and diplomatic background spanning over four decades, with extensive service in various security and diplomatic missions across Africa.
His recent roles include serving as Kenya’s High Commissioner to Uganda (2020–2022) and as Deputy Force Commander for the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) (2019–2020).
His appointment comes at a critical time, just two weeks before the start of the extended Transitional Period in South Sudan.
As part of the revitalized peace agreement, a range of crucial tasks must be addressed to prepare for the country’s elections scheduled for December 2026. These tasks include finalizing the constitutional and electoral framework, and establishing security conditions for the vote.
Since its independence in 2011, South Sudan has never held a general election. Elections were initially scheduled for December 2024 but were postponed to 2026 due to concerns about the country’s readiness.
The peace agreement, signed by President Salva Kiir and his former rival-turned-deputy, Riek Machar, in 2018, ended a devastating five-year civil war that claimed an estimated 400,000 lives, caused widespread famine, and displaced millions.
South Sudan is going through an economic crisis that has seen civil servants go unpaid for more than one year, after its oil exports were affected by a damaged pipeline amid the war in neighbouring Sudan through which it exports.