The head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), Nicholas Haysom has urged parties to expedite the implementation of key provisions of the peace accord, before it elapses.
He remarked this during the 22nd plenary meeting convened by the Revitalized Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (R-JMEC) in Juba on Thursday.
“To underline our main concerns, the government and the parties must work with a sense of urgency to; pass the constitutional making process bill, Graduate the first batch of the NUF and progress the 3 April agreement,” said Haysom.
He added, “The parties should work with National Constitution Amendment Committee (NCAC) to expedite the National Elections Bill process and agree on a roadmap to exit the transitional period with free, fair, and peaceful elections”.
Haysom, also the Special Representative of the Secretary General in South Sudan, said UNMISS’s presence in all 10 states shows its willingness to support the consolidation of accountable and responsive government structures.
“I welcome the progress made on Chapter 2 by means of the April 3 Agreement on the Command Structures and subsequent appointments. While long overdue, I congratulate the parties for their courage in reaching a compromise and I thank the Government of Sudan for its facilitative role,” he observed.
Haysom cited signs of progress made in Chapter 5 of the peace agreement regarding the Commission for Truth Reconciliation and Healing (CTRH).
“It is encouraging to see that the public consultation process has begun in earnest through dispatching members from the technical committee of the Commission to different states,” he remarked, adding “This process provides the platform to realize the rights to truth, justice, reparation and the guarantees of non-recurrence by addressing root causes of past trauma.”
The Special Representative of the Secretary General pointed out that the recent mandate extending the National Constitutional Amendment Committee and the passing of the Political Parties (Amendment) Bill by parliament are examples of promising results of demonstrating political will.
“The resumption of the NCAC supports the legislative process and in particular allows for the review of the National Elections Act 2012. This in turn will provide the legislative framework for launching the electoral process, including the reconstitution of the National Elections Commission,” stressed Haysom.
He further added, “This process is fundamental for South Sudan to exit the transitional phase. The pace with which the parties pass the electoral bill and reconstitute the NEC will demonstrate their commitment to the timelines for conducting free, fair, and credible elections.”
The body monitoring South Sudan peace agreement (R-JMEC) earlier expressed concerns that the implementation of the September 2018 revitalized peace accord is far behind schedules earmarked for a transitional period.
Source: Sudan Tribune