CEPO urges IGAD council of ministers to press for political compromise
COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT FOR PROGRESS ORGANIZATION: APPEAL FOR IGAD COUNCIL OF MINISTERS
March 23, 2018 (SSB) — Intergovernmental Authority on Development-IGAD will hold a Council of Ministers’ meeting on 26th March 2018 in which, South Sudan situation is on the agenda following IGAD key focus in driving the process of High Level Revitalization Forum (HLRF) which intends to invigorate articles of Chapter 1 and 2 of the Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in South Sudan (ARCSS) signed in 2015. IGAD has facilitated two phases of the revitalization process in which the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement was signed on 21st December 2017. On February 5th-16th 2018; some deadlocks on distribution of power were seen during the revitalization of articles of chapter 1 and 2.
Community Empowerment for Progress Organization urges IGAD council of ministers meeting which is due on 26th March, 2018 to focus on strategies of lobbying South Sudan parties to compromise and accommodate each other in a manner that paves way for effective and efficient government. IGAD should stress that the forthcoming arrangements for government in South Sudan is transitional arrangement for short period to deliver the country out of violence.
Mr. Edmund Yakani, Executive Director of CEPO says IGAD council of minister should also strongly urge the warring parties of South Sudan to effectively implement the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement. “IGAD should stress timely implementation of article 9 of Cessation of Hostilities Agreement by all parties, IGAD should further review the methodology of the revitalization process since it much focuses on conflict management than conflict resolution or transformation,” Yakani reiterated.
IGAD Council of Ministers should openly call for the immediate neighbors of South Sudan and some AU member states that have clashing interest on South Sudan to compromise for peace. The on-going violations of Cessation of Hostilities Agreement by the parties is a clear demonstration of absence of the will to implement any peaceful resolution of their conflict, therefore IGAD Council of Ministers should also invest efforts on resolving the estrange and hostile relation among the politicians of the warring parties.
Giving chance for some South Sudanese-led process under leadership of institutions such faith based to complement the revitalization process is essential. Mr. Yakani stressed
CEPO calls upon the IGAD Council of Ministers to take proactive decisions for lobbying compromises for peace by the warring parties of South Sudan prior the forthcoming phase of the HLRF. IGAD Council of Ministers should also assess the implementation of some decisions such as restatement of judges that were agreed upon during the 2nd Phase of the HLRF. The South Sudan parties should be lobby to opt for peaceful and non-violent transfer of political power.
Finally, CEPO expects the 26th March 2018 IGAD Council of Ministers Meeting to come out with key practical decisions on improving the approach for revitalizing ARCSS. Decision such as actualizing IGAD, AU and UN joint engagement on HLRF including lobbying the leadership of the warring parties for fundamental compromises to allow peace to prevail in South Sudan this year 2018.
“The Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) is a non-profit, civil society, South Sudanese organization, registered by the Ministry of Justice on 17th November 2010. The organization was initially formed in Khartoum in 1999 and consisted of mostly University students, but its scope broadened after it was established in Juba, Southern Sudan as a separate entity. Presently, CEPO is engaged in the areas of Peace and conflict mitigation, human rights, rule of law, livelihood, governance and democratic transformation. MR. EDMUND YAKANI BERIZILIOUS is the Executive Director of CEPO.”
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