Washington will maintain humanitarian aid but criticizes lack of progress
July 16 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Government of the United States has decided to rescind its support for the political transition plan in South Sudan due to the inability of the parties to make progress, although it has specified that it will maintain its current humanitarian aid initiatives.
South Sudan has a unity government that was launched after the 2018 peace agreement materialized. The South Sudanese Presidency announced in January 2020 that the parties to the peace agreement had agreed to once again extend the transition period, this time until 2023, to give room for the application of the clauses of the pact, in the midst of international requests to speed up the process.
Despite the decrease in violence due to the political conflict, the country has registered an increase in inter-community clashes, mainly motivated by cattle theft and disputes between herders and farmers in the most fertile areas of the country, especially due to the increase in desertification and population displacement.
The ruling party, SPLM, led by Salva Kiir, hopes to face the opposition group, SPLM-IO, led by First Vice President Riek Machar, in the elections. However, Machar’s group would have threatened to boycott the elections if the transitional measures provided for in the 2018 peace agreement are not fully implemented.
In this context, and “given the lack of constant progress by the South Sudanese leaders, the United States ends its support” to the agencies responsible for monitoring the peace process, “according to a statement sent late this Friday. by the Department of State.
“Likewise, the United States regrets the failure of South Sudanese leaders to implement the commitments made to bring peace to South Sudan,” according to the note, which accuses all parties of “lack of political will” to initiate the necessary reforms.
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