South Sudan peace deal has been disregarded

South Sudan army soldiers in Bentiu on January 12, 2014. PHOTO | FILE  AFP

By FRED OLUOCH

In Summary

• Festus Mogae, former president of Botswana, who is also the chairman of the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC) responsible for its implementation told The EastAfrican that parties to the agreement have ignored all advice.
• UN says the peace process has yet to be accompanied by a complete cessation of hostilities, undermining the likelihood that the National Dialogue proposed by the government will be seen as credible.

The implementation schedule of the South Sudan August 2015 Peace Agreement will have to be revised to achieve its objectives.

Festus Mogae, former president of Botswana, who is also the chairman of the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC) responsible for its implementation told The EastAfrican that parties to the agreement have ignored all advice.

He revealed that JMEC has asked the Transitional Government of National Unity (TGNoU) to come up with a proposal on what they can do within given timeframe so that other stakeholders can review it and see whether it is feasible.

“You can’t say that this is the original agreement and therefore it cannot be touched. The Government of National Unity was supposed to last 30 months, but even without the outbreak of fresh fighting in Juba in July, there have been so many delays,” said Mr Mogae.

The former president said that apart from reluctance by the government of President Salva Kiir, the rebel leader Dr Riek Machar took too long to return to Juba, which delayed the formation of the TGoNU by at least four months.

The United Nations Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, Adama Dieng, on February 9 that accused President Kiir of lack of commitment to end the violence.

Mr Dieng said the peace process has yet to be accompanied by a complete cessation of hostilities, undermining the likelihood that the National Dialogue proposed by the government will be seen as credible.

READ: Top UN official says President Kiir not committed to peace

“Even when you talk to them, they listen, but they don’t act on what you have discussed. The government‘s belief is that it can defeat the rebels militarily. Right now, we are saying that there should be an all-inclusive political solution, but there is no sign that they want compromise. You told them to reconcile the people with whom you are fighting with. You don’t reconcile with your friends,” he said.

The agreement had stated that the implementation would start with a permanent ceasefire within 48 hours of the signing. But 18 months since the signing, only Ugandan forces have withdrawn, the Government of National Unity has been formed and parliament has been reconstituted.

Other timelines have not been met. Key among them is the Security Arrangements, which involved the demilitarisation of Juba and the cantonment of soldiers from both sides.

Mr Mogae said cantonment was not going to happen without being funded by donors, who have become more reluctant to fund the implementation process.

“The donors have said several times that it is going to be much more difficult to give South Sudan money than it was in the past. South Sudanese still think they are the darling of the international community because they are rich in oil and that money is going to come from all over. What they don’t realise is that there is fatigue,” he added.

However, the government of President Kiir has maintained that implementation is ongoing since Dr Machar left last July and his former chief negotiator, Taban Deng Gai, replaced him as the First Vice-President.  

John Andruga Duku, who is in charge of foreign organisations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, maintained that the implementation process is progressing well with reconstitution of parliament and the formation of the National Constitutional Committee.