The chairperson of the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC) on Thursday addressed the African Union Peace and Security Council in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and asked them to focus on South Sudan and support institutions necessary for elections.
Amb. Gen. (rtd) Charles Tai Gituai informed the Council that South Sudan is scheduled to hold its first democratic elections in December 2024 since attaining independence in 2011 and said that the promise comes with a lot of expectations and anxiety.
“Two critical pre-conditions are still pending. Firstly, the revitalized agreement provides for elections to be conducted under a people-led and people-owned Permanent Constitution, which shall initiate a federal and democratic system of government at the end of the Transitional Period,” he explained. “Secondly, the unification of the forces should have been completed and the forces redeployed to provide elections-related security, among others. The unification of forces faces serious challenges, and yet, it is the most consequential for stability and enduring peace.”
The RJMEC chairperson said that the recent reconstitution of the Political Parties Council (PPC), the National Constitutional Review Commission (NCRC), and the National Elections Commission (NEC) will require significant resources and capacity to deliver on their mandates.
“In that regard, their effectiveness will pave the way towards registering, overseeing, and regulating activities of political parties, widening of civic and political space, the making of the permanent constitution, and for the conduct of elections as scheduled,” he stated. “Without predictable and adequate funding towards the implementation of the Agreement, including the Necessary Unified Forces and the recently reconstituted institutions, we express the concern that South Sudan might have a challenge in meeting the implementation schedule of the R-ARCSS, and this could seriously jeopardize the holding of elections in December 2024.”
Amb. Gituai requested the Council to appeal to the AU members and the AU C5, as guarantors of the Revitalised Peace Agreement, to enhance their political engagements with the Parties and the transitional government, to prevail and encourage them to complete implementation of the critical pending tasks, especially the unification of forces and the making of the permanent constitution so that South Sudan can have a smooth transition to a democratic dispensation.
Furthermore, he underscored the critical role the Council and other international partners can play.
“There is an urgent need for this Council, IGAD, and the international partners to deliberately focus their attention and proactively play their roles to ensure South Sudan successfully transits to a democratic dispensation,” he added.