CTSAMVM held a meeting of its Technical Committee Members in Juba today. Several updates requiring their collective contribution were presented to the CTC members. These involved the implementation status of the ceasefire agreement, reports of clashes between armed youth groups and SSPDF soldiers in Nassir County, the deployment status of the Necessary Unified Forces, occupation of civilian buildings, and ongoing issues and investigations.Please refer below for the opening statement made by CTSAMVM Chairperson Maj. Gen. Yitayal Gelaw.
“Dear Senior Party Representatives and CTC members,
IGAD Representative,
RJMEC Representative,
Defense Attachés,
CTSAMVM Secretariat,
Observers,
Media
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Welcome to this meeting. I would like to express my sincere gratitude for your contributions to addressing the issues affecting the peace process in the Republic of South Sudan.
I am encouraged to note that the ceasefire continues to hold, as evidenced by the fact that we do not have a specific report to discuss today. This positive development is largely due to your shared commitment to the peace process.
However, we do have several updates that require our collective consideration.
Esteemed Senior Party Representatives, Ladies and Gentlemen,
CTSAMVM is gravely concerned about reports of armed clashes between armed youth groups and SSPDF soldiers in Nassir County. To date, these clashes have reportedly resulted in death and wounding of individuals from both parties.
CTSAMVM senior liaison officers have been instrumental in clarifying the situation and have recommended a joint investigatory and mediation approach to reduce tensions. CTSAMVM currently preparing to deploy to the area to conduct an investigation and are in consultation with UN Air Operations to facilitate this movement.
CTSAMVM has been informed of the Necessary Unified Forces (NUF) deployment of eight military battalions as previously reported. Additionally, CTSAMVM Monitoring Verification Teams (MVTs) have received unverified accounts of further NUF deployments to multiple locations. Witness statements included much encouraging and complimentary testimony regarding the conduct and impact of NUF forces.
It is necessary to acknowledge and recognize the positive contribution of such deployments, and CTSAMVM welcomes the opportunity to do so.
CTSAMVM urges that the positive impact of the National Unified Force deployments be reinforced with the necessary resources to enable a wider deployment footprint across the country. This approach would also create space within training centers to allow for the implementation of Phase 2 training. CTSAMVM will continue to liaise with the Joint Defense Board for confirmed updates on all NUF deployments.
Moreover, CTSAMVM has not received additional information on the occupation of civilian areas since the last CTC meeting held on 18th July 2024. We will present the current verified status of occupations during the report.
Esteemed Senior Party Representatives, Ladies and Gentlemen,
CTSAMVM’s monitoring and verification activities continue to operate through the goodwill and financial commitment of our donors. The RJMEC plenary meeting on 8 August 2024 highlighted the increasingly competitive demand for donor funding and the budgetary constraints present across various security mechanisms underpinning the R-ARCSS.
Moving forward, CTSAMVM, like others, will have to operate within this dynamic donor environment and maximize operational output against available resources. This has regrettably led to a reduction in MVTs and a change in the previous operational model outlined in the IGAD letter to the principals dated 7 March 2024. As such, there is an increased shared responsibility among the MVTs that remain. CTSAMVM is committed to exploring all avenues to increase capacity and protect our ability to deliver on our mandate.
I urge our senior party representatives to engage in constructive dialogue that promotes operational monitoring and verification capabilities. We share a common goal to offer solutions that enable lasting peace in the country and a much-deserved peace dividend for the people of South Sudan.
With these remarks, I declare this CTC meeting open and invite Senior Party Representatives to share their thoughts.”
I thank you!
