South Sudan’s planned December 22 elections face risks to their credibility because of unresolved political disputes, incomplete security arrangements and delays in implementing the 2018 peace agreement, the body monitoring the deal said on Wednesday.
In its third-quarter report, the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC) said several key commitments under the 2018 Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS) remained unfulfilled, raising concerns about the conditions for a peaceful end to the country’s transitional period.
The commission said the lack of consensus among political parties over the legal and political framework for the elections, together with persistent security concerns, threaten public confidence in the process.
Disputed amendments
RJMEC criticised the government’s handling of proposed amendments to the 2018 peace agreement, saying they had been submitted to the Transitional National Legislature without the endorsement required under Article 8.4.
The provision requires amendments to be endorsed by at least two-thirds of RJMEC’s voting members. The commission said the proposed changes had not met that threshold and were therefore inconsistent with the peace agreement.
Subsequent constitutional amendments sought to end the transitional period, dissolve the Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity (RTGoNU) arrangements and enable elections to proceed without consensus among all signatories to the peace agreement, the report said.
RJMEC also described the unilateral dissolution of the Presidency as contrary to Article 1.1.4 of the peace agreement, which provides for the transitional government’s mandate to continue until elections are held, except as otherwise stipulated in the accord.
The report’s findings highlight a dispute over the political and legal framework governing the transition as the election date approaches.
Dialogue and security
RJMEC acknowledged the launch of an inter-party dialogue on September 24 but said some political groups had not participated, including allies of detained and exiled leaders of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-in-Opposition (SPLM/A-IO) and holdout groups that did not sign the 2018 peace agreement.
The commission cited unilateral decisions and the continued detention of opposition figures as obstacles to political consensus. It said the status of the interparty dialogue remained unclear and called for an inclusive process involving all signatories and holdout groups.
Security conditions also pose risks to the electoral process, the report said, citing continuing armed clashes, intercommunal violence, active armed groups and incomplete transitional security arrangements.
These conditions could affect voter registration, campaigning, the safety of candidates, access to polling stations and public acceptance of the results, it said.
RJMEC called on the parties to uphold the permanent ceasefire, complete priority security tasks, including arrangements for election security, and provide predictable support to electoral institutions.
Reforms delayed
The report also highlighted delays in constitutional reform and transitional justice.
No new progress had been recorded during the reporting period on the permanent constitution-making process, RJMEC said. It added that momentum had slowed after the government decided to separate the process from the elections.
Responsibility for implementing the 2018 peace accord rest primarily with South Sudan’s political parties and transitional government, it said.
RJMEC urged the parties to put national interests above partisan considerations, engage in dialogue and expand civic and political space.
A peaceful conclusion to the transition would depend on political will and adherence to the letter and spirit of the agreement, the commission said.
and then