FULL TEXT: Statement of Chairperson of CTSAMVM at CTSAMVM Technical Committee Meeting, August 23rd, 2021

Opening Remarks ,

By Maj. Gen. TESHOME GEMECHU ADERIE Chairperson of CTSAMVM 

at The CTSAMVM Technical Committee Meeting 

Juba

Dear Senior Party Representatives and CTC members,  

Major General Dafaalla Hamid Mohammed, former CTSAMVM  Deputy Chairperson, 

Brigadier General Saeed Mohammed Alshekh, incoming Deputy  Chairperson, 

RJMEC Representative and IGAD Special Envoy Representative, CTSAMVM Secretariat, 

Observers,  

Ladies and Gentlemen, 

Good Morning.  

It is my great pleasure to welcome you to this CTC meeting. I also want  to express my gratitude for your presence to address the peace process of  this nation South Sudan.  

Let me also take this opportunity to appreciate my brother and dear  intimate friend General Dafaalla who is actually attending his last CTC meeting with us, for his overall leadership role, for all efforts he had  made and for his contribution and commitment to the peace process of  this lovely nation for the last two years which I am a live witness for all  that he has done. It was a great opportunity to work with him.  

General Dafaalla, we are going to miss you but this is the very nature of  our work especially when it comes to the military. We wish you a  successful and bright life in your future endeavours and your family. I  also wish you safe travel back home.  

Besides, I would like to take this opportunity to welcome our incoming  Deputy Chairperson, Brigadier General Saeed Mohammed. We are very happy to have you at CTSAMVM and we are fully confident that you will contribute your leadership to fully impact the peace process. Gen  Saeed, I would like to assure you of both my full support and that of my Secretariat will be with you at all times, please feel at home. 

At this meeting of today, you will be updated on the status of permanent  ceasefire. Since the last CTC on 23 July, there have been no verified  clashes between the parties-signatory to the agreement. However, there  has been clashes between different factions of the SPLM/A-IO following  the Kit Gwang Declaration on 3 August 2021 in the area southeast of  Magenis. Tensions remain in southern Central Equatoria State although  the situation appears to be improving. Also, since the last CTC, there  have been several incidents reported allegedly involving NAS including  abductions, an attack against an SSPDF position and an ambush against  SSPDF soldiers. CTSAMVM is very concerned about the risk that these  incidents pose to the peace process. We call upon IGAD and RJMEC to  urge the parties involved to take the necessary steps to avoid clashes and  adhere to the ceasefire as well as the protection of civilians. 

You will also be briefed on the implementation of the critical pre transitional tasks of cantonment and training of the Necessary Unified  Forces and the vacation of civilian occupied buildings. There are no  changes to these pre-transitional activities since the last CTC and we  have expressed our concerns and we strongly recommend IGAD and  RJMEC to urge the parties to take immediate action on these activities  so that the required security arrangements can be implemented. 

Our briefing also includes three violation reports. The first one involves  incidents of violence in Nassir, Upper Nile State between 11 May and 20  June 2021. The second one involves SGBV in Central Equatoria in July  2021 and the third, a recent detention of CTSAMVM aircraft. These  reports will also be sent to the CTSAMVM Board, as well as RJMEC  and IGAD. The parties are urged to follow up on these violation reports  and take appropriate action.  

Dear Senior Party Representatives and CTC members,  

Dear Generals,  

Representatives, 

Secretariat, 

Ladies and Gentlemen,

CTSAMVM highly values your opinions and recommendations, then  our expectations are as usual to conduct yourselves in order to address  the truth and the facts by being independent, neutral and impartial with  no other considerations which remains your history and benefits your  people straightforward. I request you contribute your part which directly impacts the peace process in your country, South Sudan. We look  forward to a constructive and successful meeting today.  

I officially declare this meeting open.  

Thank you.