South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Jenifer James
The executive director of the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), Edmund Yakani, has urged the various signatories to the 2018 revitalized peace agreement to speed up the implementation of the pending tasks.
Yakani told The Dawn in an interview on Saturday in Juba, that there has been a noticeable slowdown in completing critical pending peace tasks.
He called for the immediate creation of a clear, detailed, and resource-backed implementation matrix to address the pending tasks of the peace agreement, especially during the remaining five months of the extended transitional period, as well as the newly extended two-year period.
Yakani pointed out that while the political efforts to secure the extension of the transitional period were commendable, they should match the urgency required for implementing this transition.
“We have seen intense political efforts in securing the extension, culminating in His Excellency, the President, signing Constitutional Amendment Bill 12, 2024, into law. The same urgency needs to be applied in implementing this transition,” he said.
According to Yakani, civil society are deeply concerned by the slow pace of progress, saying that politicians have secured an additional two years amid delays in executing critical tasks.
“This same slow pace is what has hindered genuine implementation of the peace agreement provision over the past six years. This time, we will not remain silent; we will follow each step closely, hold you accountable, and ensure you fulfill these promises,” he disclosed.
Yakani urged the signatories and principal parties to immediately develop a comprehensive and detailed implementation matrix, adding that this plan must include clear timelines, defined responsibilities, allocated resources, and specific milestones.
“You still have the opportunity to deliver on the remaining tasks within the five months of the current extended transitional period and the newly added two-year extension,” he said.
Yakani appealed to the parties to take full responsibility for the peace implementation in the country.
“Please take this responsibility seriously. Don’t relax or sit back. Allocate the necessary resources and define roles to ensure a genuine and successful political transition in our country,” he said.
