The chairman of the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC), during a meeting of the commission’s members on Thursday in Juba, said he was concerned about the escalating clashes between SPLA-IO and SSPDF.

Maj. Gen. Charles Tai Gituai emphasized that the full engagement of all the parties and inclusive dialogue within the framework of the peace agreement is the only way of resolving disagreements. 

The SPLM/A-IO on Tuesday declared that they will no longer grace security mechanisms meetings, pronouncing them insignificant in the discharge of the peace agreement because attacks on their forces have continued despite numerous reports to the security mechanism outfits.

“I am concerned by the reports of an increasing number of clashes taking place between SPLA-IO forces and defectors to the SSPDF in Upper Nile and Unity states, including in training centers. We have tasked CTSAMVM to further investigate these clashes,” Gen. Gituai said. “I would like to stress that each training center is a symbol of the unity which is being forged through creating a unified force, and any threat to this is unacceptable.”

“Such divisive activities complicate the unification process, lower morale, and breed mistrust among troops. A unified force depends on cohesiveness for its ability to function as a professional force,” he added.

Gen. Gituai urged the transitional government to complete the Transitional Security Arrangements, including resolving the issues of unified command and force ratios, and redeployment of unified forces.

On SPLM/A-IO suspending participation in the security arrangements, the interim chair said the commission has taken note of all the concerns raised by the SPLM/A-IO. He added that it is encouraging to note that SPLM/A-IO has reiterated its continuous commitment to the full implementation of the agreement and is willing to be available to discuss these issues with RJMEC.

The commission’s chair revealed that he has invited the concerned parties to a meeting on Friday 25 March 2022, to discuss these issues. 

He reiterated his appeal for the presentation of the roadmap and strategy to be developed by the transitional government which should, among other things, set out the tasks most critical for the conduct of free, fair, and credible elections, given the dwindling time left to implement the peace agreement.

Gen. Gituai ended by reminding the participants of the signatory parties’ commitment, expressed in the preamble of the agreement, “to lay the foundation for a united, peaceful and prosperous society based on justice, equality, respect for human rights and the rule of law.”