Activist raises concern over shrinking political space
The Executive Director for the Centre for Peace and Advocacy (CPA), Ter Manyang Gatwech on Monday said he was deeply concerned over the shrinking political space despite progress in implementation of some of the provisions of the 2018 revitalized peace agreement.
Manyang said in a statement in Juba, that the civic and political space is increasingly shrinking as security operatives’ clampdown on opposition parties as they seek to mobilize support.
“There is serious shrinking civic and political space for all citizens. The current RTGoNU does not fully allow the total freedom of expression in the country, some parties are not working in collaboration as required under the R-ARCSS, they are just making unhealthy competition among themselves,” he said.
However, he noted that some tangible progress has been made toward the implementation of the peace agreement such as the ceasefire that remains largely holding since 2018.
Manyang revealed that the transitional government has implemented 50 percent of the security arrangement, adding that the transitional national legislative assembly has amended a number of laws since it’s inception.
“The ceasefire has been holding across the country, there is development in the country for the last four year and the Transitional National Legislative Assembly has amended a good number of laws,” he said.
He said that the parties in the transitional unity government have implemented 80% of chapter one, 50% of chapter two and 40% of chapter three 40% and 35% of chapter four and 30% of chapter five and 20% of chapter six.
“The parties must speed up the implementation of the remaining tasks in the peace deal, open civic space for health competition among political leaders, and protect human rights defenders, activists, journalists, humanitarian workers and opinion leaders,” Manyang said.
South Sudan is due for general election at the end of the current transitional period in December 2024.
