26th April 2024
Make a Donation

EU asks Juba to release the peace funds

Author: Staff Writer | Published: Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Flags of EU countries

Release the remaining funds you recently pledged for the implementation of the revitalized peace agreement, the European Union has urged the Kiir administration.

In May, the incumbent government said it would avail $100 million for successful implementation of the pre-transitional tasks.

However, it has so far wired only $5 million into the account of the National Pre-Transitional Committee.

Key security arrangements remain unimplemented, including training and unification of the necessary force of 83,000 soldiers.

The peace parties were to form a unity government in May, but this had to be pushed to 12 November to allow for implementation of the security provisions.

Last week, a disagreement over the formation of the coalition cropped up, with the main opposition leader requesting for another extension and the government insisting on meeting the deadline.

But the peace monitoring body, R-JMEC, says the cannoned forces are living in squalid conditions. They have run short of food and medical supplies.

Recently, three senior SPLA-IO officers succumbed to illnesses related to poor living conditions in a cantonment site in Amadi. And in Ashwa, soldiers are drinking dirty water.

“We echo the African Union PSC Communiqué of 15th October in encouraging the Government to expeditiously disburse the remaining funds pledged in May 2019 for the implementation of the R-ARCSS,” says EU in a statement dated 29 October.

The government often says it does not have money to, among other obligations, implement the peace pact, it gets more than $165 million per month from oil sales.

Earlier, President Salva Kiir said he would establish the unity government with or without his co-principal Dr. Riek Machar.

EU points out that it’s critical the R-TGoNU be inclusive of all signatory parties, as stipulated in the in the agreement.

“The people of South Sudan want peace and prosperity, and our countries and organisations are ready to support and promote this in various ways, in partnership with an inclusive R-TGoNU,” it adds.

The statement was jointly written by the representations of the European Union, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom in Juba.

The Trump White House has also vowed to work with an interim government that comprises of all the parties that inked the peace accord in Addis Ababa in September 2018.

Support Eye Radio, the first independent radio broadcaster of news, information & entertainment in South Sudan.

Make a monthly or a one off contribution.

error: Alert: Content is protected !!