The Embassies of Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, the United Kingdom, and the United States, as well as the Delegation of the European Union on Friday said they strongly concur with the assessment by the Chairman of the Revitalized Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission that the political and security situation in South Sudan has markedly worsened in ways not seen since 2018.
On Monday, the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC) released its Quarterly Report on the status of implementation of the Agreement and said the security and political situation in South Sudan has deteriorated due to recurrent violations, which have frustrated and now stalled the implementation of the 2018 revitalized peace agreement.
A press statement from the group of western embassies and the Delegation of the EU asked President Salva Kiir free First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar from house arrest.
“They reaffirm their urgent call for President Kiir to reverse the house arrest of First Vice President Machar and for all party leaders to return to dialogue urgently aimed at achieving a political solution,” the statement reads in part. “They deplore the April 26 statement by a senior transitional government minister that referred to ‘friendly’ and ‘hostile’ counties.”
“They also reaffirm their call on all party leaders to end the use of violence as a tool for political competition and to desist from further unilateral actions,” the statement added.
At a press conference on 26 April, Cabinet Affairs Minister Dr. Martin Elia Lomuro announced the Government of South Sudan’s classification of Nuer-majority areas as either “hostile” or “friendly” in a rare public announcement, amid rising tensions between President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar following recent violence in Nasir. Last month, Kiir placed Machar under house arrest, accusing him of inciting rebellion against the government to undermine peace.