By Matik Kueth
The Chairperson of the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (R-JMEC), George Owino, has urged regional and international peace guarantors to step in and help rescue the revitalized peace agreement.
Speaking at the R-JMEC’s fourth extraordinary plenary meeting in Juba on Tuesday, Owino cautioned that the peace deal is at risk of total collapse amid deep mistrust, political tensions, and renewed violence in the country.
He said the peace deal is facing its biggest threat since its signing in 2018.
“There is no doubt that the peace agreement is facing its greatest challenge since its signing. If the current challenges are not urgently addressed, there’s a high risk of reversal of all the gains already made, and a collapse of the agreement altogether,” Owino said.
Owino’s statement comes amid renewed clashes in some parts of Central Equatoria, Western Equatoria, Eastern Equatoria, Upper Nile, and Jonglei states, where government and SPLM-IO forces have traded blame over multiple ceasefire violations.
The growing insecurity has raised fears that the country could slip back into full-scale conflict.
He said months of delays, mistrust between parties, and continued clashes between rival forces have crippled progress, warning that key mechanisms of the peace process are barely functional.
“The continuous mistrust between the parties erodes the political will to move the peace process forward. The issue of blaming each other only increases mistrust and does not move us forward,” he noted.
Despite repeated recommendations from R-JMEC, the unification of forces remains stalled, transitional institutions are paralyzed, and preparations for the 2026 general elections draw nearer.
Owino noted that R-JMEC and CTSAMVM teams have been unable to operate in conflict areas, as ongoing political detentions continue tensions between First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar’s SPLM-IO and President Kiir’s SPLM-IG continue to sink South Sudan into an abyss, impeding reconciliation efforts.
Gunnar Gabrielsen, Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring and Verification Mechanism’s (CTSAMVM) representative, stated that ceasefire violations have increased significantly since March.
He called on all parties to embrace dialogue rather than choosing conflict.
“Beyond any reasonable doubt, the permanent ceasefire is continually and repeatedly violated by signatory parties. CTSAMVM once again urges its signatory parties to choose dialogue before conflict and to offer the required support in facilitating access and information,” he urged.
Meanwhile, the African Union’s Prosper Addo reiterated R-JMEC’s call, emphasizing that only political dialogue can bring long-term peace to South Sudan.
“There can only be political solutions to political problems. Peace remains a credible option and not a relapse into violence. We appeal that dialogue takes precedence, inclusive dialogue,” he stressed.
For months, R-JMEC, IGAD, and other international peace guarantors have urged South Sudanese political leaders to return to dialogue and release political detainees, including Dr. Machar and other co-accused SPLM-IO members, to restore peace in the country.
However, despite these appeals, clashes between government and SPLM-IO forces continue in several parts of the country, in clear violation of the ceasefire, though Dr. Machar and his co-accused party members face a treason trial, a case whose outcome remains uncertain as political tensions deepen.