CEPO: Building citizens’ ownership, trust and confidence on the outcomes of HLRF
The Scheduled Africa Union Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) Meeting in Juba, South Sudan, should focus on building citizens ownership, trust and confidence on the outcomes of HLRF
April 14, 2018 (SSB) — The Africa Union Peace and Security Council is planning to have a meeting of the council in Juba on the current on-going situation in South Sudan. This is meeting within the timeframe where IGAD Special Envoy to South Sudan is conducting shuttle diplomacy with various South Sudan actors to the on-going peace mediation process.
The AU Peace and Security Council meeting is timely in terms of pushing and lobbying South Sudan negotiating parties for Compromises on the registered deadlock on the road to revitalize the Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in South Sudan (ARCSS). CEPO appreciates the action of the AUPSC. It is the clear demonstration of commitment to ensure peace prevails in South Sudan. Mr. Edmund Yakani, Executive Director of CEPO says the AUPSC meeting in Juba should not ignore handles the matters of estranging and the hostile political relationships among the principals of the negotiating parties. Building consensus among the principals of the negotiation parties besides their personal political grievance is essential for the success of next High-Level Revitalization Forum in later April 2018 in Addis Ababa.
The deadlocks that are delaying the timely revitalization of the ARCSS are much more built on the absence of trust and confidence among the negotiation parties. The meeting of AUPSC should serious lobby for compromises and also strengthening the understanding that South Sudan needs transitional arrangements as the strategy of stopping the on-going violence, without sorting out everything through the peace agreement. Mr. Yakani stressed.
AUPSC should make strong action-oriented positions on the on-going violations of the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement signed on 21st December 2017, Compromises during HLRF, the establishment of Hybrid Court and the negative interference of some AU members’ states on HLRF process.
The on-going violations of CoA are weakening the public trust and confidence that the negotiating parties of South Sudan have the will to accept the peaceful settlement of their political difference. The council should not forget the establishment of the Hybrid Court as the deterrent for the commitment of human atrocities since the country is witness growth in military rebellions.
Finally, CEPO call upon AUPSC meeting to make decisions that are action oriented on matters related to the next HLRF compromises, Hybrid Court including support for South Sudanese led-process such as track two by the faith-based leaders and civil society than the usual press statements that normally end up as words on paper.
CEPO call upon AUPSC meeting to support national media coverage of next HLRF as a strategy of building citizens ownership, trust and confidence on the outcomes of HLRF. The council should meet with others stakeholders (Faith-based leaders, civil society, women, and youth) while in Juba.
“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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