Ethiopian Informer
ADDIS ABABA: August 23 (EI) – The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Council of Ministers on Thursday urged the disputing South Sudanese factions to canton, barrack, and deploy at least half of the 83,000 Necessary Unified Forces (NUD) before the end of September 2019.
“The Council resolves that at least 50% of the 83,000 necessary unified forces should be cantoned and barracked, trained and deployed before the end of September 2019,” the meeting communique issued on Thursday read.
The IGAD Council of Ministers, which brings together foreign ministers of the eight IGAD member countries, made the decision during its consultation meeting of the parties to South Sudan’s September 2018 peace deal on Wednesday in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa.
The Council further recommended the IGAD Heads of State and Government to convene “face-to-face meeting of the top leadership of the Parties to discuss and resolve outstanding issues,” as well as to hold an Ordinary Summit of IGAD in mid-September 2019 to deliberate on and decide, among others, the status of Riek Machar.
It also “appreciates that the ceasefire is holding and as a result South Sudan has experienced relative peace, and in this regard calls for the cantonment process to be expedited to ensure the continued holding of the ceasefire in South Sudan.”
It also commended the Parties to the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS) “for the important work they are doing in the various institutions and mechanisms of the Agreement.”
Noting the conducive environment the South Sudanese government has created for the implementation of the R-ARCSS, the Council also “recognized and commended representatives of the opposition parties for moving back and working from Juba.”
It also “appreciated the cordial and constructive manner with which the Parties conducted the consultation meeting.”
The IGAD foreign ministers also expressed their commitment “to engage their respective Heads of State and Government to directly engage South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir to disburse the balance of the pledged 100 million U.S. dollars.”
They also urged the government of South Sudan “to be transparent and put in place accountability mechanisms in the use of funds for the implementation of the peace agreement.”
The Council also urged the South Sudanese parties to continue dialoguing and consulting on the issue of the number and boundaries of states with a view to find a common solution, and report on the same to the next IGAD Ordinary Summit in mid-September.
The latest consultation meeting, which brought together disputing South Sudanese parties as well as the IGAD Council of Ministers, also brought together representatives of African Union (AU), the UN, the European Union, IGAD Partners Forum (IPF), China, as well as the three Troika nations – Norway, UK and the United States.
The IGAD Council of Ministers issued the 14 point communique after hearing the presentation by the IGAD Executive Secretary on the Independent Boundaries Commission (IBC) report, the statement of the IGAD Special Envoy for South Sudan, reports of the Secretary of the NPTC, Interim Chairperson of R-JMEC; and Chairperson of CTSAMVM, it was noted.
