AU Urges South Sudan Parties to Complete Arrangements before Government Formation

The African Union (AU) urged parties of the South Sudan Peace Agreement to double their efforts to ensure the completion of all arrangements of the pre-transitional period, which was extended for an additional six months to November.

AU’s High Representative for Infrastructure Development in Africa and Kenya’s former Prime Minister Raila Odinga told reporters that parties of the peace agreement should double their efforts to ensure that all arrangements for the pre-transition period are completed.

The Intergovernmental Authority for Development (IGAD) endorsed extending the pre-transitional period by six months effective from May 12, 2019 to enable the execution of the critical pending tasks.

Odinga called on the leaders of South Sudan to quickly restore stability so that the country can claim its share in the development of infrastructure in Africa.

The deadline for the formation of a national unity government in November should not be missed again, he warned. 

“I would like to see peace and calm reinstated in South Sudan and to end the deadlock in the implementation of the peace agreement until it is possible to form a government.”

He noted that citizens are eager for peace, development, stability and security, admitting there are challenges to be solved if everyone agrees to work together, pointing out that he held talks with President Salva Kiir and urged him to prioritize peace and development in South Sudan. 

In related news, the South Sudan National Pre-Transitional Committee (NPTC) decided to end the accommodation of the negotiating delegations that discuss the implementation of the peace agreement, and asked them to leave the hotel.

Head of the Committee for Accommodation Dhieu Mathok Diing issued a letter to the members informing them that their housing in the hotels will end as of Monday May 27 and the NPTC will not be responsible for the accommodation of any member who remains in the hotel from that day.

For his part, a top opposition figure told Asharq Al-Awsat that his party is concerned about the opposition delegations after the decision to terminate their stay in the hotels.

The member, who preferred to remain unnamed, warned that such decision will disrupt the implementation of the agreement to activate peace and will reflect negatively on the mutual trust between all the parties.

Civil society organizations welcomed the move, saying South Sudanese people had repeatedly called for the leaders to return to their own homes.

Civil society raised question marks on the government’s decision to host officials in luxury hotels while claiming lack of funds to implement the terms of the peace agreement, especially the security arrangements.

The organizations accused some peace delegates of spending lavishly on guards, families and friends rather than providing services to citizens.