Troika holds position, opposes bid to extend transitional period
The Troika countries that consists of UK, the US, and Norway, abstained from voting when the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC) held a plenary which endorsed the extension of the transitional period.
Troika argued that as ‘‘voting members of RJMEC’’, they could not support the extension ‘‘at this time’’, citing issues yet to be resolved.
‘‘We require further evidence of the government’s commitment to deliver on the new roadmap and fully implement the R-ARCSS before we can do so.”
“We recognise that the R-ARCSS as an agreement continues to represent an opportunity to build peace and stability in South Sudan,” the statement read in part.
However, they said their lack of support for the extended transitional period did not diminish their commitment to South Sudan’s quest for peace, prosperity, and democracy.
Last month, the peace parties extended the transitional period by 24 months.
The western diplomats said South Sudan’s leaders had extended their time in power despite failing over the past four years to deliver fully on the commitments they made in the 2018 Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS).
“We regret that the government did not postpone ratification of the extension to give time for them to demonstrate through sustained action and results on the ground — that the new commitment as set out in the roadmap will be different from the fast few years.”
In the same statement, the Troika said the government did not take the opportunity for meaningful engagement with civil society and other agreement stakeholders, which they believe increases the chances of unsuccessful implementation.
The group called on South Sudan’s leaders to shoulder their responsibility, saying: “to date, the R-ARCSS has prevented a return to large-scale conflict, but it has not delivered democracy, peace, justice, or opportunity for the South Sudanese people.”
They are paying the price for non-implementation through the extreme levels of violence and abuse visited upon civilians across the country.
“The Troika, in close coordination with the EU and its member states, regional partners, and other stakeholders, remains convinced that the path to ending their suffering and achieving their goals is through full implementation of the R-ARCSS,” the statement read in part.
However, the group said while they support the government’s commitment to a roadmap, it should make the best use of the remainder of the original timeframe for the agreement and clarify how it would use any additional time from an extension.
The Troika wants South Sudan’s leaders to deliver the results they promised in the timeline they committed to through the roadmap.
“They must also dedicate sufficient resources to the agreement’s implementation.”
“We urge South Sudan’s friends and partners to strengthen their monitoring of progress.” Each missed benchmark will further call into question the political commitment of South Sudan’s leaders,” the Troika statement reads.
