In his address delivered virtually, RJMEC Chairperson Amb. Maj. Gen. George Owinow informed the Council that the political and security situation in the Republic of South Sudan has greatly continued to deteriorate, and the implementation of the ARCSS has been severely undermined.

Amb. Owinow said: “In addition to the previously reported March 7th Nasir incident and its aftermath, as well as the subsequent arrest, detention, and prosecution of the First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny and other top SPLM/A-IO officials before an ad-hoc Special Court, serious violations of the R-ARCSS continue unabated.”

Amb. Owinow added: “growing incidents of armed clashes between the SSPDF and SPLA-IO in different parts of the country, including in Jonglei, Upper Nile, Unity, Western Bahr El Ghazal, Eastern Equatoria and Western Equatoria States, in clear breach of the Permanent Ceasefire.”

“These developments pose a serious threat of irretrievable breakdown of the Permanent Ceasefire between the SPLA-IO and the SSPDF if urgent steps are not taken to cease the current hostilities and resume dialogue at the highest political level,” Amb. Owinow said.

In his recommendations to the Peace and Security Council, Amb. Owinow called on the esteemed body to prevail on the Parties to the Agreement to cease all forms of hostilities, embrace inclusive genuine dialogue and re-activate the implementation mechanisms of the Agreement and fully adhere to the Permanent Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements.

He further called on the AUPSC to urge the leadership in Juba to desist from taking actions that further erode the political trust and confidence in the Revitalised Peace Agreement and ensure that the political disagreements are resolved through dialogue and disputes are addressed through the mechanisms of the R-ARCSS.