Djibouti/Juba, August 23, 2019 (SSNA) — The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) has officially asked South Sudan’s Salva Kiir to release peace funds meant for implementation of the September 2018 peace agreement, an official with IGAD Secretariat who prefers his name not be disclosed because he was not authorized to speak to the media told the South Sudan News Agency (SSNA) on the phone.
The official reveals that IGAD asked Kiir on Wednesday. But it is not clear why the information was not provided to media for nearly two days.
“Yes, it is true. IGAD did, in fact, asked President Salva Kiir to release the money so that the implementation process can speed up,” the official discloses.
“You cannot implement the agreement without funds,” the official added.
The revelation comes less than a day after IGAD-led peace negotiations in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa failed to come up with any resolution to resolve security arrangements issue.
The agreement stipulates that peace implementation must have its own funding and that the money shall be used only for the implementation of the pact.
The SSNA understands that at least $100 million dollars has already been pledged but President Kiir only released $6.5 million dollars, leaving the account with $93.5 million.
There have been allegations that the government has misused some funds by giving out millions of dollars to some politicians to renovate their houses.
Rumors have been swirling among South Sudanese communities that Kiir is systematically withholding the money to impede the implementation process.