Author: Lasuba Memo | Published: 10 hours ago
FILE PHOTO: South Sudan People Defence Forces (SSPDF) on on a military – Courtesy
Rising hostilities between the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) and the SPLA-In Opposition (SPLA-IO), coupled with the detention of top opposition leaders, threaten to collapse the 2018 permanent ceasefire and the fragile peace process in South Sudan, the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC) has warned, calling for urgent action to prevent its breakdown.
In a statement delivered virtually to the African Union Peace and Security Council on Friday, H.E. Amb. Maj Gen. George Aggrey Owinow (rtd), Interim Chairperson of RJMEC, said the political and security situation in the country has “greatly continued to deteriorate” and that violations of the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS) are ongoing.
“The unilateral removals and replacement of opposition-nominated representatives in the Transitional Government, coupled with the detention and prosecution of the First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny and other SPLM/A-IO officials, are eroding the power-sharing framework of the R-ARCSS,” Owinow said.
According to RJMEC, armed clashes between the SSPDF and SPLA-IO have been reported in six of South Sudan’s ten states, including Jonglei, Upper Nile, Unity, Western Bahr El Ghazal, Eastern Equatoria, and Western Equatoria. The commission described these incidents as a direct breach of the Permanent Ceasefire.
“These developments pose a serious threat of irretrievable breakdown of the Permanent Ceasefire if urgent steps are not taken to cease hostilities and resume dialogue at the highest political level,” Owinow added.
The RJMEC chair highlighted that the continued detention of the First Vice President and other political leaders, alongside unilateral actions in the Transitional Government, has worsened political distrust and undermined the peace agreement.
“The people of South Sudan are once again bearing the brunt of renewed conflicts, climate shocks, currency depreciation, and cross-border displacement,” he said.
Owinow urged the government and opposition to resume dialogue, restore opposition representatives to their posts, release political detainees, and fully implement the R-ARCSS in both letter and spirit.
He also called on international partners to provide support to expedite security reforms, constitutional processes, and preparations for credible elections, emphasizing that failure to act could lead to a complete collapse of the peace process.
The statement underscores the urgent need for South Sudanese leaders to resolve their political disputes through dialogue, respect the ceasefire, and protect civilians from the escalating conflict that continues to destabilize the country.
