Juba, South Sudan
April 4, 2022—South Sudanese parties, which are signatories to the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement, have reached a compromised agreement on the structure of command of the unified forces.
The SPLM/SPLA (IO), SPLM (IG) and SSOA have agreed on formula by which they will arrange the command of the Necessary Unified Forces in the country.
This comes after efforts exerted by the Republic of Sudan, which is the peace guarantor and IGAD Chair, intervened immediately to mediate the matter for the parties to reach amicable solution.
The decision of the SPLM/SPLA (IO) leadership in late March to suspend its participation from the meetings of the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring Evaluation Commission (R-JMEC) and other Security Mechanisms in the Peace Agreement led to the escalation of tension and caused panic to citizens in the country.
Yesterday, on Sunday April 3rd, 2022, the parties agreed on the outstanding issues and pledged to chart the way forward during the press conference officiated by the Deputy Chairman of the Sudan Sovereign Council, Gen. Mohamad Hamdan Daglo.
The deal resolved the following benchmarks to be implemented in accordance with the agreed timeline :
“.. (1.) Appointment of the opposition Generals into unified command structure within this week;
“.. (2.) Graduation of Unified forces within 2 months;
“(3.) Return of the opposition into the mechanisms;
“(4.) Abide by ceasefire and session of hostilities agreements;
“(5.) No party should encourage, facilitates or motivate the defections to either sides;
“(6. ) Immediate cease of media propaganda and hostilities;
“(7.)Prepared for phase 2 within one month;
(8.) Building of trust among the Presidency.” the terms of the agreement reads.
Last month, President Kiir relinquished senior police and army positions to the opposition groups but the SPLM/SPLA (IO) rejected the allocated positions and termed Kiir’s decision as ” unilateral ” decision aimed to violate the provisions of the power-sharing ratio.
