UK, US, Norway, and EU recognise Roadmap to end transitional government and call for action

The Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity’s declaration of a Roadmap for the conclusion of transition is acknowledged by the Troika, the EU, and its Member States.

We see that the Roadmap contains specifics on the steps that will be performed and the due dates for completion.

We both hope that this agreement will now lead to the consistent action necessary to achieve the Roadmap.

We observe with worry that the government’s decision to forego taking the required actions that would have resulted in implementation has resulted in the need for an extension of the peace process.

The donor assistance that the Government of South Sudan is requesting will only come through consistent action and results, notably in the areas of openness around oil income and public financial and resource management.

In this respect, we take notice of the government’s declaration that it would set aside particular monies in the budget for 2022–2023 for carrying out the Roadmap and the Peace Agreement.

We urge the Government to allocate those monies in a predictable and open manner in order to restore trust among the international community.

We regret that the Roadmap’s finalisation process wasn’t more inclusive.

The Government’s plan was only presented to civil society organisations for a little period of time to evaluate and comment on.

We believe that any process’ legitimacy depends on how inclusive it is, hence we urge the government to have more thorough consultations before ratifying the extension outlined in R-ARCSS article 8.4.

To further guarantee that the voices of the South Sudanese people, including those who hold opposing views, are constantly heard throughout the Roadmap’s implementation, we urge the government to increase political and civic space.

The South Sudanese people, the Troika, the EU and its member states, as well as the larger international community, will evaluate actions rather than words. We must ascertain what will be distinctive this time.

To inspire confidence, the Government must right away show that it is making real headway on implementing the remaining R-ARCSS components in accordance with the timetable outlined in the Roadmap.

After the administration has shown that it is taking consistent action and achieving the outcomes stated in the Roadmap, the prolongation of the transition should be ratified.

The only way the Government can gain our collective confidence is by fulfilling the deadlines outlined in the Roadmap.

Last but not least, we applaud President Kiir and First Vice President Machar for reaffirming their commitment to peace.

We continue to be persuaded that the only way for all South Sudanese to achieve peace, prosperity, and democracy is for the nation’s leaders to follow through on their commitments and engage all South Sudanese in a common vision for the future of their country.