Troika and EU threaten to stop support for South Sudan peace bodies

[Elisabeth Janaina]

Troika and EU threaten to stop support for South Sudan peace bodies

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Ethiopian FM and Chairperson of the IGAD Council Workneh Gebeyehu
shakes hands with President Salva Kiir in Juba following a meeting
with the IGAD foreign ministers on 24 July 2017 (IGAD photo)
July 26, 2017 (NAIROBI) - The Troika countries (USA, UK and Norway)
and the European Union have threatened to stop their support for the
activities and institutions tasked with the implementation of the IGAD
brokered peace agreement and called to update the deal its
instruments.

Following a meeting held in Juba on 24 July, the IGAD foreign
ministers welcomed the support of the Troika and EU to their
revitalization plan for the South Sudan peace process and called on
the government to ensure the implementation of the ceasefire and urged
the armed opposition to reciprocate.

The ministers also welcomed the commitment of President Salva Kiir to
fully collaborate and implement the IGAD revitalization forum for the
Implementation of the peace agreement.

However, in a confidential note to the IGAD countries seen by Sudan
Tribune, the Troika and EU expressed their frustration with the
implementation of the peace agreement and called for concrete steps to
amend the deal and to consolidate the bodies entrusted with the
monitoring process.

"We cannot continue to indefinitely support ARCSS implementation
activities and institutions if they are unable to contribute to peace
due to the lack of meaningful inclusion of parties to the conflict,"
said the Troika and EU who fund the IGAD activities and mechanisms
tasked with the peace implementation.

"We look forward to a prompt and inclusive revitalization process that
would allow us to consider the commitment of further resources. The
JMEC has a vital role to play in the delivery of the urgent goals we
have set out above. However, JMEC and other ARCSS institutions must be
strengthened and adapted to deliver results in the new context,"
stressed the note.

The Troika and EU on 20 July issued a statement condemning the attacks
by government army on the positions of the SPLM-IO in Pagak near the
Ethiopian border. They said the "Pagak offensive is a clear violation
of the unilateral ceasefire declared by President Salva Kiir on May
22", and casts doubts on the government’s commitment to reach peace
through the National Dialogue.

In their note, they went to demand an update for the security
arrangements embodied in the peace agreement saying they have been
"made obsolete by the evolution of the conflict and are no longer
sufficient".

The IGAD peace partners also said they do not support holding
elections in 2018 as it is provided in the peace agreement pointing to
the ongoing fighting, the humanitarian crisis stressing that under
such conditions "elections are likely to cement divisions and increase
violence".

"The Revitalisation Forum should deliver a new timetable which allows
those conditions to be put in place. We do not support holding
elections in 2018 as indicated in the original ARCSS," the Troika and
EU said.

They requested the IGAD to closely coordinate with the African Union
and the United Nations.

Following their meeting in Juba on 24 July, the IGAD foreign ministers
urged the South Sudanese stakeholders to embrace the objectives of the
High-Level Revitalization Forum for the Implementation of the ARCSS.

The East African block decided to task the IGAD Special Envoy for
South Sudan with the coordination of the revitalization process
involving all stakeholders and institutions charged with the
responsibility of the implementation of the ARCSS.

(ST)

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27 July 01:41, by dinkdong

That’s a good idea. They are not effective anyway.

repondre message
27 July 02:32, by lino

Haha 😂!!! Everyone is coming to his/her sense now. We said from
the very beginning that when the Security Arrangements failed, the
peace agreement is over! I am not sure how IGAD and partners missed
it.
Kiir and Taban are friends not enemies,and peace can be made and
implemented by enemies!!!

repondre message
27 July 06:36, by Tilo

I hope this should be last warning for IGAD. Troika and EU need to
get serious also not only Issuing warnings after warning with no
outcome. You have witness time and again the violation of ceasefire,
targeting of civilians and killing of Humanitarian actors and yet you
allow your selves to be manipulated by the same bodies. For S.
Sudanese the entire world doesn’t care of innocent lives lost/ing

repondre message
27 July 17:08, by Dinka-Defender-General

Tilo, do not worry. We, the SPLA/SPLM did have any support
during civil war so we will handle as we did. We are a sovereign
country and we are not going to beg other countries to support us if
they do not want to support and they can not warn us either. We are
not going to accept it. Support us or leave us alone is the law.
Therefore, we are ready for.....

repondre message
27 July 07:23, by JUR ATHÏT

IGAD is mediating to make money on south sudan peace process not
to bring peace. we better sit down as citizen of this country and make
our peace and reconciliation since we aren’t gaining anything but
loosing life on daily basis.

repondre message
27 July 10:50, by jur_likang_a_ likan’g

That is the message that is now a rare commodity. South
Sudanese need to wake up and put aside their tribal differences and
recollect themselves as South Sudanese and work out a mechanism of
establishing a nation state that represents all the tribes of the
country. But before this is done the old leaders need to vacate their
positions.

repondre message
27 July 08:22, by quiz

Useless IGAD members, look now those who support you with money to
bring peace to our country withdraw their support. Where ,re U going
feed yourselves ? Did IGAD was formed as club for enjoyment? All
S.sudanese have know zt your IGAD is toothless dog, will never bring
peace. All IGAD members are being bribed by Kiirian and Tabanist
regime.

repondre message
27 July 08:25, by quiz

Useless IGAD members, look now those who support you with money to
bring peace to our country withdraw their support. Where ,re U going
feed yourselves ? Did IGAD was formed as club for enjoyment? All
S.sudanese have know zt your IGAD is toothless dog, will never bring
peace. All IGAD members are being bribed by Kiirian and Tabanist
regime.

repondre message
27 July 10:13, by Sunday Junup

IGAD has failed our region

repondre message
27 July 10:18, by Dak tak

The very words we from the beginning been waiting for, stop paying
means the end of the drama and the fake peace. How can the world keeps
funding collapsed? And at the same time support the rogue regime that
prefer war than peace? Stop your funds any peace will return to south
Sudan sooner than later.