File

New disagreements have emerged again among the parties to the revitalized peace deal over the distribution of local government levels, the government spokesperson has said.

Michael Makuei admitted that dispute remains over whether to distribute Counties that have been created as a result of the estabishment of new administrative areas.

The revitalized peace agreement, signed by President Salva Kiir and opposition leader Dr. Riek Machar marked two years on Saturday.

The agreement -to bring an end to years of civil war -provides for a three-year transitional period, followed by general elections.

But according to political analysts, while political fighting largely subsided over the past two years, the implementation of the revitalized peace agreement has been at a snail’s pace.

Disputes between the parties to the peace agreement and financial constraints have been major obstacles to completing the peace process, according to observers.

It was not until in May this year that President Kiir appointed state governors were appointed – a provision that was supposed to be done after the immediate formation of the unity government according to the deal.

But up to date, the governor for Upper Nile State has not been appointed over several differences between the incumbent government and the SPLM-IO.

Among other outstanding tasks are the formation of state government structures and the unification of government and opposition forces.

Recently, the UK ambassador to South Sudan, Chris Trott said that the absence of the States government is hindering humanitarian work, stressing that in order to deliver services, there has to exist authorities on the ground.

Many activists and observers have attributed the continuous violence in various states across the country to the absence of state governments.

The government spokesperson revealed that the parties are in a stalemate over sharing power in the two administrative areas established from the 79 Counties in February.

“All the counties in South Sudan are 79, out of this 79, two administrative areas; Ruweng and Pibor have been created. These two administrative areas have two counties [each],” Makuei told the press after the Council of Ministers meeting on Friday. “The dispute is over whether we allocate 75 Counties or we allocate 79.”

According to the implementation matrix of the peace deal, many provisions should have been implemented by now.

But the national legislature-a body that will enact most of the reforms spelt out in the peace deal is yet to be reconstituted per the revitalized peace agreement.