12 April 2019: The African Union (AU) Peace and Security Commissioner, Ambassador Smail Chergui, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Special Envoy for South Sudan, Dr. Ismail Wais and the Special Representative Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN) to South Sudan, Mr. David Shearer briefed AU partners in Addis Ababa on the current situation in the Republic of South Sudan.
The AU, IGAD and UN took stock of the implementation of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS) and agreed to redouble their efforts in support of the Parties implementation of the Agreement.
The AU, IGAD and UN recognized the efforts of the incumbent Transitional Government of National Unity in creating the conditions for Opposition leaders to return to Juba and participate in peace implementation mechanisms and commended Opposition leaders to return and participate in the implementation of the R-ARCSS. There was consensus that the R-ARCSS has changed the trajectory of the situation in South Sudan from that of conflict to enable a significant reduction in political violence and in this regard, commended the Parties for their courage to embrace peace. The AU, IGAD and UN urge all hold out groups to adhere to the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement and urgently commit to the peace process.
The AU, IGAD and UN observed that key challenges remain at the eve of the end of the pre-transition and strongly encouraged the Parties to renew their commitment and accelerate their efforts to the implementation of the R-ARCSS, in letter and spirit. They further urged the parties to implement the agreement fully and transparently in a manner that engenders trust and confidence of the South Sudanese population and her partners. The AU, IGAD and UN underlined that it is imperative for the Parties to prioritize security arrangement in order for the process of the unification of forces to be expedited to enable the safe return for all Opposition leaders to Juba.
The AU, IGAD and UN stressed the importance for the Parties to reach consensus on the modalities to ensure an orderly move from the pre-transition to the transition phase without any delays and communicate their intentions to South Sudanese population.
The AU, IGAD and UN cautioned against complacency, stressing that the cost of failure is unacceptable and called on the Parties to take the necessary steps to ensure a smooth transition.
The AU, IGAD and UN recognized the tremendous support of all partners and called on them to continue to demonstrate unity of purpose and extend tangible support to the implementation of the R-ARCSS.
The AU, IGAD and UN reaffirmed their determination and collective commitment to support the implementation of the R-ARCSS.