South Sudan rivals finally sign revitalized peace agreement.
September 2, 2018 (ADDIS ABABA) - South Sudanese parties have finally signed the revitalized peace agreement ending a five year-conflict that devastated the new nations and dashed all the hope and support that generated by the independence of the east African nation.
The final text was signed by all the parties including President Salva Kiir, SPLM-IO leader Riek Machar, South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA), Gabriel Chang Changson, SPLM- FDs leading member Deng Alor.
In statements after the signing ceremony, the information minister Michael Makuei welcomed the signing of the revitalized peace agreement by all the parties and said that his government from now on wards will start the implementation process.
"My Appeal to the people of South Sudan is that let’s forgive ourselves, let’s work together for the whole interest of our people," he said.
The signing ceremony took place at the end of IGAD leaders meeting who endorsed with the approval of President Kiir some amendments to address the concern of the South Sudanese opposition parties.
The SPLM-IO and the SSOA voiced concerns over the number of states and demarcation of the tribal and state boundaries, the decision-making In the Presidency, Legislator, Council of Ministers. and state and local governments and the procedures of the permanent constitutional-making process.
Also, they asked that Kenya and Ethiopia join Sudan and Uganda who will deploy troops in South Sudan to ensure the full commitment of the parties to the agreement.
For the referendum on the number and boundaries of states; the question that shall be posed in the referendum "shall be the same for the entire country unless it is decided in the RCNBS that each State shall have different question or set of questions more understandable to the people," says the signed deal.
Also, Annex D which provides to ask South Sudanese to choose between 32 or 10 states, was reinstated. It is now Annex E.
For the permanent constitution, it will be drafted by the Constitutional Review Commission (NCRC) and submitted for the National Constitutional Conference, in response to the opposition request.
The deal also set a number of rules to govern the decision-making process at the presidency, the government and the parliament particularly when the parties fail to reach a collegial decision.
The details can be seen in the text of the agreement hereunder. However, the Quorum in the Council of Ministers shall continue as 23 provided that at least six(6) of them are from the Opposition.
However, the agreement seemingly didn’t consider the opposition request to add Kenya and Ethiopia to the guarantors (Sudan and Uganda) tasked with the monitoring of the ceasefire.
"The current monitoring and verification mechanism shall be restructured and reconstituted into the Ceasefire Transitional Security Arrangement, Monitoring and Verification Mechanism (CTSAMVM). It shall be led by Sudan and Uganda," says the agreement.
For the deployment of Ethiopian and Kenyan troops, the deal provides issue of deployment of the RPF shall be handled through the engagement of IGAD and the UN Security Council.
Ethiopia is already present in South Sudan as the peacekeeping operation which is part of the monitoring mechanism. Kenya was part of the UN mission but withdrew its troops after a UN reporting blaming the UNMISS force commander, a Kenyan general for not taking the necessary measure to protect civilians in July 2016.
Hereunder a link to the full text of the revitalized peace agreement.
Big time for South Sudan!!!! Congratulation everyone in my country.
Well done South Sudan Leaders. This peace agreement should be a legitimate and final peace accord and I’m happy to see the agreement. Now, we, the South Sudan citizens need to united and work together to build our country, roads, schools, hospitals, and clean water. In addition, President Kiir needs to stop appointing leaders or punish criminals for corruption.
God bless you South Sudanese people, peace out, finally home after long unplanned confusion war! We South Sudanese people should immediately call for a national prayer over the country. God almighty Allah always help those who helped themselves.
Fellows, there are some people who will never ever entertain seeing the evil white Americans, English people, their evil juus (so-called israelis), their cloned arabs of North Sudan, their gulf Arab states and even some Bantus here in our country. Reasons, pure HATRED & RACISM.
The owners have taken back their country.
when is your next appointment with the doctor to assess your brain, seem it’s getting worst every day.
i advice you to seek doctor earlier than later and don’t consume too alcohol with destroy your central nervous system of your brain like Kirr.
Did Sudan Tribune just deleted my comments?? So where is freedom of speech here??
One wondered why SudanTribune website always keep this crazy person posts? Pakaui or whatever name is name a south Sudanese but an imposter whose objective here is to create problems amongst south Sudanese people and btwn South Sudan and other world nations.
SudanTribune, why you are deleting others’ posts but not imposter Pakuai?