South Sudan’s peace partners hail launch of public consultation
By Denis Elamu
South Sudan’s parties to the 2018 peaxe deal have been hailed by monitors of the implentation of tge peace agreement for launching public consultations to pave way for the start of truth, reconciliation and healing process under chapter 5 of the 2018 revitalized peace deal.
The Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC), the body monitoring peace implementation has welcomed the launch of the public consultations, saying it demonstrates positive progress after months of delays by the parties.
“This public consultation process has been eagerly awaited by the public. Unfortunately, it has experienced delays due to funding and other constraints. It is encouraging to see this process finally take off despite these obstacles,” said Charles Tai Gituai, Chairperson of RJMEC in a statement issued in Juba, the capital of South Sudan on Tuesday.
The official launch of the consultation on April 5, was attended by President Salva Kiir, First Vice President Riek Machar Teny, and three other Vice Presidents and many other South Sudanese dignitaries and members of the regional and international diplomatic corps.
“I commend the technical committee for the measures it has put in place in a bid to ensure that these public consultations processes to be undertaken align with international human rights standards, and best practices. In addition, I urge the technical committee to undertake this process in a manner that upholds the letter and spirit of the R-ARCSS,” said Gituai.
He expressed hope that the technical committee will undertake the process in a manner that gives opportunity to the men, women, girls and boys of South Sudan to meaningfully participate and give their honest views about the kind of Commission, Truth, Reconciliation and Healing (CTRH)they wish to see established.
The latest development follows the recent agreement among the parties to share the ratios within the unified army command structure after having disagreed.
Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-In Government (SPLM-IG) under President Kiir will have 60 percent of the positions, while SPLM/A-In Opposition led by First Vice President Machar and other opposition parties will share 40 percent of the positions within the army, police, intelligence, prisons and wild life.
“I wish to encourage the RTGoNU, including the state governments to work in partnership with each other, so as to safeguard the civic space and foster an inclusive environment so that the people of South Sudan can have even more confidence engaging with this process,” said Gituai.
Adding that this will help build the feeling of ownership to the CTRH once it is eventually established.
Gituai also encouraged the technical committee to work efficiently and diligently to undertake meaningful public consultations, and afterwards come up with comprehensive report in a timely manner containing findings and recommendations that will inform the drafting of a CTRH legislation of good quality.
He called on the parties in the transitional unity government to expedite implementation of all chapters of the revitalized peace agreement in letter and spirit.
The peace deal’s implementation monitoring body.or RJMEC comprises TROIKA, EU, China, UNMISS, representatives of the parties to the peace deal among others
