I have been informed that the National Pre-Transitional Committee (NPTC) has received the US $10 million, pledged by the Government. I expect that these funds will be channelled to the appropriate mechanisms to expedite the start of the cantonment process.

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen;

There has been progress in the implementation of the R-ARCSS to report. The Technical Boundaries Committee (TBC) completed its work and submitted its report to the IGAD Mediation on 26thMarch. The TBC’s work pertained to addressing the tribalboundaries violated as a consequence of the establishment of the 32 states.

The Independent Boundaries Commission (IBC) has finally begun its work. The IBC held its inaugural meeting on 18th and 19thMarch 2019 in Juba, and then a second meeting on 26th and 27thMarch in Addis Ababa. During these meetings, the IBC reviewed and adopted its Rules of Procedure as well as Terms of Reference. Its third meeting is currently underway here in Juba.

In terms of the National Constitutional Amendment Committee (NCAC), its progress continues well. It has been reviewing the Political Parties Act (2012) to ensure that it complies with international best practices for free and democratic registration of Political Parties in South Sudan. To facilitate this work, the NCAC received submissions from the Political Parties, Civil Society and women. The NCAC Chairperson will provide more details shortly in his report.

What I have just described is laudable progress. However, there are recurring challenges that must be addressed in the implementation of the Peace Agreement.

The issue of denial of access to CTSAMVM continues. During the first quarter of this year, the number of access denials the Monitoring and Verification Teams encountered totalled to 31. Despite the resolutions of the RJMEC, it is disappointing to note that this is a persistent problem. I call on the commanders in Juba to hold their field commanders to account and allow free and unfettered access.

Furthermore, contrary to my requests, I note with dismay that the details of the reported incidents of sexual and gender-based violence in Bentiu have not been made public, nor has RJMEC been given the full report of the government’s investigation andaction on the Luri incident.

Likewise, CTSAMVM has investigated and confirmed the rape of two females (a woman and a minor) in Karpeto, Central Equatoria in January 2019 by SSPDF forces. I appreciate that suspects have been arrested and will face the full force of the law. I note also that CTSAMVM has resorted to centralized operations as a result of financial constraints, and I hope that this situation is addressed as soon as possible. CTSAMVM’s work is fundamental to the entire implementation of the Peace Agreement, and any reduction in its operational capacity must be a concern to all of us.

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen;

The security situation, as confirmed by CTSAMVM, remains stable, except tension in the Yei River area. However, I note with increasing concern the reported incidences of deaths resulting from recurring cattle rustling, particularly in Western Bahr el Ghazal. It is a situation which must be addressed urgently. Of concern also is that a Member of Parliament and one of his security details lost their lives as a result of an attack on 26th March. This is indeed regrettable.

The JDB, the SDSR Board, the JMCC, the JTSC and the CTSAMVM Board have all been meeting and we shall hear reports of their progress shortly. That said, I must report that the reconstitution of the DDR Commission, vital to the cantonment process, is still pending. I urge the Incumbent TGoNU and the NPTC to expedite the reconstitution of this Commission.

Since the last Plenary, the Consumer Price Index for February has been published. It shows an increase of 12 per cent over January 2019. The recorded price increases were to a large extent concentrated to a few basic food commodities reflecting supply shortages in parts of the country. In addition, recent gradual strengthening in the oil price has supported the exchange rate, thus reducing inflationary pressures.

Since 2015, part of the net oil revenue has been allocated to pay transfer payments arrears to Sudan. The arrears were incurred when world oil prices fell below US $40 per barrel beginning late 2015. These arrears have now been cleared, contributing to an increased cash flow from oil available for financing the budget.

Oil revenue is expected to remain the dominant source of income for many years to come. In that regard, the development in the oil price and production will largely determine the resources available to be allocated to implement the Peace Agreement.

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen;

We are now at a critical stage of implementation of the Peace Agreement. As we all know, the Transitional Period is due to begin in May, so it is essential to take stock of what has transpired to date.

In our analysis on the status of implementation of the Pre- Transitional Period tasks, we identified 59 key activities which were to be completed by the end of the period. Of these, 27 have been completed, 20 are ongoing, and 12 are yet to begin. Unfortunately, those found to be ‘pending’ or ‘ongoing’ are themost critical and consequential.

The Transitional Period is expected to commence at the end of the eight months of the Pre-Transitional Period. Therefore, the decision to be taken in the next couple of weeks should determine as to what extent, these critical pending tasks can be expedited. If we are unable to cover the lost ground during the remaining four weeks, we have to ask ourselves what should be the alternative course of action to ensure full implementation of the Agreement.

In view of the fact that the Pre-Transitional Period is coming to an end as per the Peace Agreement, I convened consultative meetings with the Parties, South Sudanese stakeholders, regional guarantors and the international community and we agreed on critical pending tasks, which I highlighted above, that have consequential impact on the Transitional Period. I expect us to discuss this further during the discussion session. In addition, I hope that the reports from the NPTC and the security mechanisms will directly address the critical pending issues that we have collectively identified.

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen;