Parties to the South Sudan peace agreement signed in August 2015 willon Thursday for the first time reveal names of national ministers they have nominated to compose the membership of cabinet for a transitional government of national unity, the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC) announced.
In meeting with participation of all parties to the peace agreement chaired by JMEC chairman, former President of Botswana, Festus Mogae, the parties also agreed to allow unimpeded humanitarian access to all parts of the country.
The government, SPLM in Opposition (SPLM-IO), former detainees and other South Sudan political parties selected their respective ministerial portfolios last week. The exercise, seen as a breakthrough in implementing the peace agreement, was done through consensus.
The parties have not yet nominated their officials who will fill the selected positions of institutions, but this would now happen on Thursday.
“The Parties committed to naming their ministers for the Transitional Government of National Unity (TGoNU) by 14 January 2016, and that the TGoNU would be formed by 22 January 2016, as provided for in the implementation calendar issued earlier by JMEC,” said a statement from JMEC extended to Sudan Tribune on Tuesday.
“Additionally, the parties committed to the expeditious convening of the Strategic Defence and Security Review Board, to begin the vital process of security sector reform and transformation provided for in the Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan,” the statement added.
TGoNU will run for thirty months as a coalition government before elections will take place at the end of the transitional period in 2018..
JMEC added that the transitional government of national unity will be sworn in on 22 January, 2016.
Former vice-president and first vice-president designate, Riek Machar, is expected to return to the national capital, Juba, for formation of the government. It however remains unclear whether his forces will be deployed in the capital for his security before his arrival.
