The guarantors of South Sudan peace agreement have expressed deep concern with the manner in which the process to deploy regional protection force has been moving since the united nations security council sanctioned the deployment approved by the government in principle.
The guarantors, according to the outcome of the Kampala summit, welcomed the decision of the transitional government of national unity to accept deployment of the regional protection force and stressed on the necessity to hasten the deployment process.
“We note the acceptance letter sent by the TGNU to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on deployment of the Regional Protection Force (RPF), and welcome the progress that has been made. The TGNU must also take urgent steps to facilitate the deployment of the RPF and allow UNMISS to fulfil its mandate without restrictions or bureaucratic impediments. A failure to do this cannot and will not be tolerated by the regional and international community. The TGNU has a responsibility to deliver on the commitments it has made to all its people and to the international community”, the statement reads.
The statement points out those institutions established under the deal like Strategic Defence and Security Review Board (SDSR), Joint Military Ceasefire Commission and Joint Operations Centre should be revived and strengthened in accordance with the deal to achieve sustainable security arrangements. The guarantors expressed disappointment with the manner in which situation in the country continues, saying they would longer accept continued violation of the ceasefire which the two sides have signed.
“We remain gravely concerned about the fragile security environment and the desperate economic and humanitarian situation in South Sudan. We particularly recognise the role played by neighbouring countries in hosting large numbers of refugees from the current crisis. Continued violations of the ceasefire and the hindrance of humanitarian assistance are exacerbating the suffering of civilians and cannot be tolerated. All parties must take urgent steps to ensure that humanitarian actors are granted free, safe and unhindered access to people in need, in compliance with international obligations, and allow the people of South Sudan to return safely to their homes and livelihoods”.
The statement strongly condemned all instances of hate speech, ethnically targeted killings and incitement to violence, saying these are in violation of the peace agreement and put the future of the country at great risk.
The guarantors who are partners to Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC), include representatives of China, Ethiopia (Chair of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD)), Nigeria, Norway, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, the UK, the US, Uganda, the European Union, the IGAD Partners Forum represented by Canada, Germany and the Netherlands and the United Nations. The partners hold high level meeting to assess progress made in the implementation of the peace agreement. They have so far managed to three meetings and held its fourth high-level meeting in Kampala on 10 November 2016 at which they discussed the current situation in South Sudan and measures that could be taken to end the continuing escalation of violence and ensure that efforts to build peace in South Sudan through the Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (ARCSS) are made more effective.