Article 8.4 of the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS) requires that at least two-thirds of the voting members consent to an amendment of the Agreement, which is 29 of the total 43 members. 37 voted in favour of the extension. 

The extension was part of a Roadmap presented to the members by the RTGoNU, known as the “Agreement on the Roadmap to a Peaceful and Democratic end to the Transitional Period of the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan.”

The RJMEC vote now requires ratification by the Transitional National Legislature, according to the constitutional amendment procedures set out in the Transitional Constitution of the Republic South Sudan, 2011 (as amended).

As the next step, the RJMEC Chairperson, Amb. Maj Gen Charles Tai Gituai will submit the decision and the accompanying resolution to the RTGoNU to consider RJMEC’s position and recommendation in this regard. 

In his closing statement, Amb. Maj Gen Gituai said: “I would like to encourage the Parties to continuously dialogue, work together to enhance the rebuilding of trust and confidence in the peace process, by taking concrete steps to address all the key impediments to progress in the implementation of the Agreement.”

“About the concerns expressed over the limited nature of the consultations conducted prior to the development of the Roadmap, I  urge the RTGoNU Parties to implement the Roadmap in an inclusive manner, including by continuously consulting with all relevant stakeholders, and civil society actors, during its implementation,” he added. 

He concluded, “I urge the RTGoNU to demonstrate full and unwavering political will and commitment to implement all the priority tasks set out in the Roadmap, in accordance with letter and spirit of the Revitalised Peace Agreement to implement additional interim measures, including an economic recovery plan to improve the current business environment.”