The members of the ‘Troika’ — the United Kingdom, the United States, and Norway said progress made over the past year in the implementation of the South Sudan peace agreement has been 'too slow and too limited.'
Today marks the one-year anniversary of the formation of the Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity (RTGoNU).
The September 2018 peace deal provides for a three-year transitional period in the country, followed by general elections.
“Critically important is the immediate formation of State Governments and the re-constitution of the Transitional National Legislative Assembly and Council of States. Implementation of Transitional Security Arrangements and true security sector reform should commence immediately,” the three countries said in a statement on Monday.
The Troika endorsed and reiterated the call made by the African Union and Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Ambassadors to improve conditions in training centres and accelerate the graduation and deployment of the unified forces.
The group called for the commencement of the permanent constitution-making process and the start of preparations for peaceful, credible, and inclusive post-transitional elections.
“There is an urgent need to continue implementation of reforms envisaged in Chapter 4 regarding transparency and accountability, including through the Public Financial Management Oversight Committee. We welcome the appointment of three women as Deputy Governors but note with disappointment the failure to ensure 35 percent female representation as stipulated in R-ARCSS,” the Troika said.
The three countries further said while the national ceasefire has generally held, the level of violence across the country, including conflict caused by defections, is unacceptable.
The Troika acknowledged the challenges posed by COVID-19 for the implementation of the peace agreement and more generally. “We welcome efforts by the Government to respond to a new wave of cases. The Troika will continue to work in partnership to respond to this crisis," it said.