As far as the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS) is concerned, the ITGONU/SPLM-IG has gravely violated the Peace Agreement, almost to the point of rendering it meaningless in the eyes of the other political parties that signed the Agreement in Addis Ababa in September 2018.
To be honest, the current problem is not about the SPLM/SPLA-IO or Dr. Riek Machar alone. The real issue is the silence of the other political parties and signatories who have failed to condemn the deliberate actions of the SPLM-IG, actions that risk dragging the country backwards. Today, no political party is truly safe, unless it has allied with the SPLM-IG to survive and remain part of the fragile R-TGONU.
This government is not a genuine unity government anymore, since its structures were dismantled overnight and replaced with political opportunists whose only loyalty is to the SPLM-IG, serving as a cover-up to outsmart IGAD.
I hope the UN Security Council meeting (Monday) in New York on the security situation in South Sudan will address the issues of concern and call for an immediate ceasefire, unconditional release of all the political detainees, including the First Vice President, Dr. Riek Machar, from house arrest, and call for dialogue.
The silence of the opposition parties that signed the R-ARCSS alongside SPLM-IO clearly shows that SPLM-IO remains the only opposition party still committed to the peace agreement. I therefore call upon the National Democratic Movement (NDM) under Hon. Dr. Lam Akol to take a bold stand, condemn the violations of the peace agreement, and call for urgent political dialogue.
At the same time, I commend Peter Mayen Majongdit, Chairman of the People’s Liberal Party (PLP), for calling all parties to dialogue under the Juba Initiative as a way to rescue the agreement, which today lies in the “Intensive Care Unit (ICU)” if we are to meet the timeline for democratic transition. There can be no peace without the full implementation of Chapter Two of the R-ARCSS, which is the security arrangements. Peace is not just about words or positions; it is about silencing guns across the country.
It is both unfortunate and deceptive to ignore the entire security chapter, which remains the backbone of peace in South Sudan. Our nation stands at a crossroads. Now is the time to act to ensure that South Sudan never returns to war. I urge the chairperson of the African Union (AU) to urgently appoint H.E. Uhuru Kenyatta, Former President of Kenya, as an AU High-Level Representative to South Sudan, tasked with pushing President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar towards genuine dialogue that can stabilize the country.
The people of South Sudan cannot afford another devastating war when suffering is already widespread across all corners of the country. It is therefore time for all political parties to rise above fear and silence, and to boldly condemn the ongoing violations of the Peace Agreement. Remaining silent only emboldens unilateralism because nobody is safe from being revoked, dismissed, or sidelined by the President. Some parties may appear alive, but politically they are already dead, while only a few remain struggling for survival.
The writer is the former Chairperson of the Relief and Rehabilitation Commission in Northern Bahr el Ghazal State, and a member of the SPLM-IO Political Bureau. He can be reached via Majokdit2024@gmail.com.
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