IGAD urges transitional security arrangements for success of S. Sudan’s peace accord

ADDIS ABABA, June 3,(Xinhua/GNA) - The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) has urgedparties in South Sudan to effectively engage on transitional securityarrangements towards the timely implementation of South Sudan's latest peaceaccord.

"The timelyimplementation of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflictin South Sudan (R-ARCSS) significantly revolves around the transitionalsecurity arrangements," Wais, IGAD Special Envoy for South Sudan, wasquoted as saying by an IGAD statement as saying.

South Sudan's newpeace deal calls for the reunification of all fighters involved in the civilconflict, but the process has been marred by delays as some groups have refusedto declare the size of their forces.

The East African bloc,IGAD, which noted a recent meeting among South Sudanese parties to discuss onthe modalities of reconstituting the Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration(DDR) Commission, urged that a "functional DDR Commission is central tothe overall success of the integrated and cross-cutting transitional securityarrangements."

"One of the keytasks to be undertaken in the cantonment is the disarmament, demobilization andreintegration of the combatants who are eligible to serve in the new securityforces," IGAD said.

The IGAD Special Envoymade the remarks a few days after the parties to South Sudan's September 2018peace deal agreed to form a unified force of 83,000 personnel, the body taskedwith monitoring the shaky pact revealed earlier this week.

Interim Chairperson ofthe Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission, Augostino Njoroge, had revealedon Wednesday that the agreement on the number of forces was reached during ameeting held on May 10 and 11.

The parties were alsosaid to have agreed that the government and opposition contribute equal numbersto the joint force. South Sudan descended into civil war in late 2013, and theconflict has created one of the fastest growing refugee crises in the world.

The UN estimates thatabout 4 million South Sudanese have been displaced internally and externally.

The peace deal signedin August 2015 collapsed following renewed violence in the capital, Juba, in July2016.

Under the latest peacedeal, opposition leader Riek Machar, along with four others, will once again bereinstated as Kiir's deputy.

Signatories to thefragile peace agreement agreed on May 3 to extend the formation of atransitional government by six months, following delays in the implementationof the pact over unresolved security issues.

GNA