Peace monitors warn heightened political tensions undermine sustained peace in South Sudan

JUBA, April 29 (Xinhua) -- South Sudan peace monitors said intensifying political and security tensions do not bode well for the sustaining of durable peace in the country.

The Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC) said in its quarterly report released in Juba, the capital of South Sudan, on Monday evening that the security and political situation has deteriorated due to recurrent cease-fire violations, which have frustrated and now stalled the implementation of the 2018 revitalized peace agreement.

Every effort must be made by the parties to the agreement to adhere strictly to the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS) and recommit to the cause of peace, the RJMEC said in the report covering January to March.

"During the quarter, implementation of the agreement ground to a halt, as the parties engaged in repeated violations of the R-ARCSS and the political and security environment markedly worsened," the monitors said.

The RJMEC said peace implementation is threatened by the arrest and continuous detention of several high-ranking opposition political and military leaders who are integral to the R-ARCSS and critical for its full implementation.

"Efforts must be stepped up to complete the unification of forces, unconditional release of those detained, and move forward with the constitution-making process," it said.

According to the report, in some parts of the country, civilians, including women and children, have borne the brunt of the fallout and have suffered serious human rights and humanitarian law violations, such as death, injury, and displacement, due to military operations and connected armed clashes.

The peace monitors reiterated that the R-ARCSS remains the most viable framework to steer South Sudan toward the path of stability and prosperity, adding that the current political and security situation is fragile and highly volatile, posing a serious threat to the survivability of the R-ARCSS. Enditem