Johannesburg, 1 September 2023 (TDI): Deputy President Paul Mashatile of South Africa, has concluded a highly productive working visit to the Republic of South Sudan.
The primary purpose of this visit was to assess the latest developments and progress in the implementation of the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS).
Additionally, Deputy President Mashatile engaged in discussions with all stakeholders to address challenges to the peace process and strengthen the enduring bilateral relations between South Africa and South Sudan.
During the visit, Deputy President Mashatile, serving as President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Special Envoy to South Sudan, held crucial meetings with President Salva Kiir Mayardit of South Sudan.
President Salva Kiir emphasized the concerning implications of the ongoing conflict for neighboring countries and the broader region.
He underlined the challenges obstructing the R-ARCSS implementation and reiterated the need for South Africa’s involvement in facilitating dispute resolution among the involved parties.
R-ARCSS stands for Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan.
It is an agreement that seeks to revive the ARCSS (Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan) of August 2015, which temporarily ended the first civil war in South Sudan that broke out on December 13, 2013.
Deputy President Mashatile also conducted talks with four of South Sudan’s five Vice Presidents: Dr. Riek Machar Teny Dhurgon, Dr. James Wani Igga, Taban Deng Gai, and Hussein Abdelbagi.
These discussions acknowledged the existing gaps and challenges in fully implementing the R-ARCSS. They include, the lack of required financial resources and UN-imposed arms embargoes and sanctions.
Nevertheless, the Vice Presidents recognized notable achievements on the path to lasting peace.
With a significant milestone being South Sudan’s first democratic elections since its independence in 2011—a goal unanimously acknowledged by all participants in South Sudan’s ongoing national dialogue.
Deputy President Mashatile also engaged with various Ministers of State overseeing critical portfolios, such as Humanitarian Affairs, Information, ICT & Postal Services, Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Cabinet Affairs, and the High-Level Standing Committee for the Implementation of the R-ARCSS.
Furthermore, Deputy President Mashatile held extensive consultations with regional and global multilateral formations.
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It includes the African diplomatic corps in Juba, IGAD, the Troika (comprising the USA, UK, and Norway), RJMEC, and the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
Deputy President Mashatile praised South Sudan for its progress and reaffirmed South Africa’s unwavering support for the Revitalised Transitional Government of National Unity (RTGoNU).
He called for strengthened commitment from all relevant parties to the R-ARCSS, particularly regarding security arrangements, community disarmament, demobilization of ex-combatants, and integration of combatant forces into a national force with a single command structure.
Likewise, Deputy President Mashatile urged all parties to adhere to the revised deadlines of the roadmap for a peaceful and democratic end to the current transitional period, culminating in national elections by December 2024 as envisioned.
