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By Denis Elamu JUBA, (Xinhua)
-- South Sudan said Friday the
latest negative assessment on peace deal implementation
by the peace monitoring body the Joint Monitoring and
Evaluation Commission (JMEC) was misleading
international actors.
President
Salva Kiir’s spokesperson Ateny Wek Ateny told Xinhua
that the Thursday statement by the head of JMEC Festus
Mogae, describing shocking deterioration in the
political and security situation in the country amid
increased hostilities, were misleading in the wake of
renewed peace deal revival efforts by the
Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) in
June.
“That
statement is misleading international actors,
considering they are being said by someone who is in
Juba. I don’t agree at all with that, we have seen a lot
of progress in peace deal implementation,” Ateny said.
Mogae had
earlier expressed shock by the rampant hostilities
across the country amid rapid deterioration of the
political, security, humanitarian and economic situation
in South Sudan.
“Since July
2016, we, as JMEC, have remained profoundly shocked by
the rampant hostilities across the country and the rapid
deterioration of the political, security, humanitarian
and economic situation in South Sudan. As a result, we
are now rightly absorbed in a process to restore and
revitalize the prominence of the Peace Agreement,” Mogae
said.
Ateny also
disclosed that the overall security situation in the
nation had improved better than previous in the wake of
renewed July clash in 2016.
“The overall
security situation in South Sudan has improved better
than other time, and these are some of the things (JMEC)
should have seen other than continue to be negative
about South Sudan,” he said.
Ateny said
that some armed opposition members were abandoning
rebellion and returning to Juba for reintegration and
participation in the ongoing national dialogue launched
last year by President Kiir.
“National
dialogue is on and a number of (opposition) people are
coming back to join national dialogue,” Ateny said.
South Sudan
descended into violence in December 2013 after political
dispute between President Kiir and his former deputy
Riek Machar led to fighting that pitied mostly Dinka
ethnic soldiers loyal to Kiir against Machar’s Nuer
ethnic group.
The 2015
peace agreement to end the violence was again violated
in July 2016 when the rival factions resumed fighting in
the capital, forcing Machar to flee into exile.
The conflict
has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced
millions that have sought refuge in neighbouring
countries. |
