Juba, November 26, 2015 (SSNA) — Former Botswana’s President, Festus Mogae, who was chosen in October by the IGAD to head the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC) – a body tasked to oversea the implementation of the IGAD-Plus’s compromise agreement, warned that the pact faces imminent collapse if action is not taken.
The JMEC head added that he is concerned about the intensification of fighting in the oil-rich Unity state.
The warning comes as world leaders raise concerns over the failure by South Sudan’s leaders to form a unity government as required by the peace agreement.
Mogae said he is also worries about repeated fighting between South Sudan’s warring factions, adding that the implementation of the power-sharing deal is being threatened by the continuous armed clashes.
“The agreement offers the way forward for a peaceful South Sudan, I urge the parties to accelerate the implementation process,” Mogae told reporters in South Sudan’s capital, Juba.
Mogae is in Juba to chair a meeting tomorrow. The conference is designed to start the implementation of the pact.
A deal to stop the nearly two-year old civil war was brokered by the IGAD-Plus in August, raising hope for peace to return to South Sudan.
The pact also calls for the establishment of a transitional government within 90 days.
However, the two rival groups didn’t meet the dateline, casting doubts whether or not the agreement will stick.
The United Nations (UN) said “grave violations” have been committed by the rival forces and urges both sides to show leadership.
On Wednesday, Troika countries (Norway, UK, and US) raised concerns over lack of peace implementation and warned of serious humanitarian crisis if South Sudanese leaders failed to implement the deal.
More than 2.3 million South Sudanese fled their homes, hundreds of thousands fled to the neighboring countries, and tens of thousands have been killed.