South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Benjamin Takpiny
The Center for Peace and Advocacy (CPA) has urged political leaders to exert more efforts to implement the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in South Sudan (ARCSS) after years of dilly dallying and delays.
CPA noted in a statement on Monday, that the political leaders and parties’ unwillingness to reach a clear consensus on several key aspects within the 2018 revitalized peace deal have dashed expectations of realizing sustainable peace and stability across the country.
“South Sudanese had hoped that the R-ARCSS would stabilize the country. To some extent, the peace agreement has been successful in reducing political violence,” it noted, adding that lack of political will to fully implement provisions of the agreement has led to increase in communal violence, and persistent food insecurity, human rights abuses, and inadequate social services.
CPA said that the 2018 peace deal has been implemented selectively with critical chapters such as security arrangements, justice and accountability, and permanent constitutional not getting the right attention they deserve.
“Unfortunately, the parties involved in the agreement have been slow to act, which has disappointed many South Sudanese who had hoped for progress,” it said.
It observed that it is now six years since signing of the peace deal in 2018, noting that half of the document has been implemented by the parties involved despite multiple deadlines.
“The leaders of South Sudan have consistently let down the people by failing to fulfill their promises. Consequently, ordinary citizens across the country continue to suffer in extreme poverty and face challenging security conditions. Inadequate social services have become a common issue,” it said.
CPA called on the parties to decide in the best interest of the citizens, as the parties to the agreement decide on the next step for the country after the expiration of the Roadmap.
The Roadmap is set to expire in February 2025 and elections are supposed to be held in December this year to transition the country toward democratic governance.
Meanwhile, CPA applauded President Salva Kiir Mayardit for emphasizing the need for collective effort to bring about lasting peace during the 13th independence anniversary on July 9th 2024.
“In the pursuit of peace, we urge leaders to promptly and harmoniously determine the future of the remaining tasks outlined in the peace agreement, which include elections, security arrangements, the creation of a permanent constitution, institutional reforms, and matters concerning justice and accountability,” it said.
