Civil society activist Edmund Yakani has urged the country’s political leadership to dialogue and fully recommit to the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement amidst the ongoing political tensions and uncertainty.
The renewed call comes as the country is engulfed in political uncertainty following continued ceasefire violations pitting the SSPDF and allied militia against the main opposition, SPLM/SPLA-IO, led by First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar, who was placed under house arrest by President Salva Kiir in late March. Machar’s and some of his allies’ incarceration followed the overrunning of the SSPDF base in Nasir Town and the killing of the local commander there by the White Army, a Nuer armed group, in early March. President Kiir and his allies contend that the White Army fought under the direction of the SPLM/SPLA-IO leadership and said that the role of Dr. Machar in the fighting is being investigated before he is arraigned in court.
Speaking on Radio Tamazuj’s Road to Democracy Program over the weekend, Yakani, who is also the Executive Director of Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), said the country’s future is at a crossroads.
“The reason for the extension, known as the Roadmap, was for the unmet security and electoral reforms to be implemented. However, we are halfway into the first year of the 2-year extended transitional period without any progress. So, this is worrying,” he said. “We are way off the Roadmap’s provisions, and the requirements necessary for elections like civic education and electoral awareness are not being implemented.”
“So, moving forward, we need to see security reforms, free civic and political space, and allocation of budgets for pending tasks, and all these requirements rest on political will,” Yakani added.
The activist also lamented the prolonged detention of opposition officials and called for their release as part of trust-building.
“Another threat to our transition to democracy and elections is the detention of opposition officials. This is having a negative impact on upcoming elections,” he stated. This is because the civil population will be compelled to believe that the elections will not be free and fair, and that the detention was intended so that the election works in favor of those who will later be elected. So, this is a mistrust that can be addressed by releasing political detainees.”
According to Yakani, the National Legislature remaining closed and lack of cabinet meetings over the lack of quorum for close to three months is also affecting the government operations.
“This also affects activities necessary for the upcoming elections,” he concluded.