The Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC) in a press release Friday, welcomed the appointment by President Salva Kiir of a high-level committee headed by Vice President Hussein Abdelbagi Akol, to investigate the clashes between communities in Twic County and the Ngok from Abyei.

According to the commission, all measures to support the peaceful resolution of disputes are welcome and should be replicated across those numerous areas of South Sudan which need it. 

“Recent reports from CTSAMVM, the ceasefire monitors, indicate a range of localized incidents of violence in different parts of the country which are a serious cause of concern for the overall implementation of the revitalized peace agreement and enjoyment of its dividends at the community level,” the commission’s statement read in part. “This overall picture of insecurity has a negative impact on the gains made so far in the implementation of the peace agreement at this critical time when every little bit of progress should be built upon.”

It added: “This state of affairs is exacerbated by the delayed implementation of the Transitional Security Arrangements as set out in the agreement, growing military defections from one signatory party to another, and poorly-resourced structures of governance at the State and local levels.”

The statement said that this localized violence not only complicates the implementation of the Transitional Security Arrangements, but also increases the number of displaced people, strains the already scarce humanitarian support, and further impacts humanitarian access.

“On 22 February 2022, two Medecins Sans Frontieres vehicles were looted and burnt 8kms outside of Yei, Central Equatoria State. Fortunately, none of the staff were harmed during the incident. This attack on humanitarian aid workers and the delivery of humanitarian services deprives the civilian population of much-need care and assistance,” the press statement warned.

The commission said that these state and county level insecurities could be resolved more effectively if the Transitional Security Arrangements, already much delayed, were completed at this time of the agreement period.

Consequently, RJMEC urges the Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity (RTGoNU) to complete the implementation of the Transitional Security Arrangements and joins other voices in urging the RTGoNU to conduct timely and transparent investigations of the perpetrators of violence at the communal level, engage local authorities in dialogue, utilize local peace-building mechanisms and hold accountable those perpetrators found to be guilty.

“As the RTGoNU develops its roadmap to the end of the Transitional Period, it should include a robust strategy for dealing with such growing localized conflicts to create a conducive environment for implementation of the critical pending tasks such as the making of the permanent constitution and the eventual conduct of elections at the end of the Transitional Period,” the statement concluded.