South Sudan urges support for revitalized peace agreement

JUBA, Jan. 23 (Xinhua) -- South Sudan on Wednesday said it needs more funding from the international community to shore up the peace account for peace implementation.

Deng Dau Deng Malek, deputy foreign minister, revealed that they still face challenge of funds to support peace implementation despite registering some positive progress since signing of the revitalized peace agreement in September last year in the Ethiopian capital.

"The funding for the implementation of the revitalized peace agreement is a challenge. There is a worry. There are few countries that have been coming forward to support specific programs," Malek told diplomats in Juba.

He revealed that they have already set up a seed account to support peace implementation and that some partners have also pledged to fully support the peace implementation.

The seed account is the basis for the funding of the activities of various mechanisms already set up per the signed revitalized peace agreement which include the National Pre-Transitional Committee (NPTC), Joint Defense Board (JDB), National Constitutional Amendment Committee, Joint Transitional Security Committee and ceasefire monitoring body CTSAMVM, among others.

He disclosed that there are ongoing works to renovate the ministry of cabinet affairs to accommodate the president, five vice presidents, 35 ministers, 10 deputy ministers who will be part of the transitional unity government (TGoNU) to be set up in May.

"The most important (achievement) in our view as government is the opening of the river transport. River transport has resumed, making it possible for the movement of goods and services from Juba to Malakal and Renk," he said, adding that this minimizes the cost of delivery of humanitarian aid to these areas.

He added that over 120,000 returnees from refugee camps in neighboring countries are now resettling in their respective communities, including IDPs from the Protection of Civilian sites run by the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) in Akobo and Panjak areas.

Malek disclosed that they have taken action on the perpetrators behind the assault on members of CTSAMVM at Luri near the capital on December 18 2018.

South Sudan descended into civil war in late 2013, and the conflict has created one of the fastest growing refugee crises in the world.

A peace agreement signed in 2015 to end the violence was again violated in July 2016 when the rival factions resumed fighting in the capital, Juba, forcing Machar to flee into exile.

The UN estimates that about 4 million South Sudanese have been displaced internally and externally. Enditem