Members of the VIP Protection Unit at Rajaf Police Training Center on April 26, 2019 | Joakino Francis/Eye Radio

The first two months of the extended pre-transitional period have elapsed without tangible progress, the peace monitoring body, R-JMEC, has said.

In May, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) agreed to extend the pre-transitional to allow peace parties enough time to implement security arrangements.

The 6-month period is meant to unify and deploy defense forces, demilitarize Juba and other cities, and for the parties to agree on devolution of power and the release political prisoners.

“As RJMEC our assessment is that two months into the extension of the pre-transitional period real progress has been slow and the risk falling behind if the revised schedules are not observed,” said Dr. Fontaine Thomson, R-JMEC deputy chief of staff for strategy.

The peace parties signed the revitalized peace agreement in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, in September 2018.

The peace pact is expected to end the civil war the observers blame on political wrangles between President Salva Kiir and main Opposition leader Dr. Riek Machar.

According to reports, the five years of fighting which was triggered by the two leaders has crippled the country, which saw mass rape, millions displaced and almost 400,000 people dead from violence and diseases.