- Rt Honourable Speaker,

- Rt Honourable Deputy Speakers,

- Honourable Members,

- Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen.

Good morning!

1. It is my great honour and privilege to brief this esteemed Assembly pursuant to Article 7.9 of the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS). This provision mandates the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC) to report quarterly to, among others, the Transitional National Legislative Assembly (TNLA), on the status of implementation of the R-ARCSS, followed by a detailed briefing.    

2. My briefing today provides a summary of the latest RJMEC Quarterly Report covering the period 1st July to 30th September 2025 and builds on the previous RJMEC Quarterly Reports and our previous briefings to this August House.

Right Hon. Speaker, Honourable Members,

3. During the reporting period, the political and security situation continued to deteriorate, significantly undermining the implementation of the Revitalised Peace Agreement. 

4. The R-ARCSS faced renewed pressures following the Nasir incident, a major violation of the Permanent Ceasefire, and its aftermath, which triggered arrests, prolonged detention, and judicial processes, as well as several political actions detrimental to trust building between the Parties to the Peace Agreement and its implementation.

Right Hon. Speaker, Honourable Members,

5. In terms of Governance under Chapter I of the R-ARCSS, the Transitional National Legislature resumed sittings after a six-month recess and made some progress on its legislative priorities. This is a welcome development, and RJMEC would like to take this opportunity to commend the House leadership for reconvening and for inviting the RJMEC to table its report for the third time in a row.

6. However, the implementation of judicial reforms, as contained in the recommendations of the ad-hoc Judicial Reform Committee (JRC) report, is still pending. The report takes note of some changes made within the judiciary with the appointments of new judges to the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal, but observes that implementation of the JRC report requires first the review and amendment of the Judiciary Act and reconstitution of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), both of which are still pending.

7. In terms of preparations for elections as scheduled at the end of the extended Transitional Period, the elections-related institutions, such as the National Elections Commission (NEC) and the Political Parties Council (PPC), continued with institutional strengthening and capacity building activities but lacked sufficient funding to discharge their mandates. With time fast running out, RJMEC expresses serious concerns that if urgent steps are not taken to expedite progress, then holding elections as scheduled in December 2026 may be extremely difficult. We appeal to this august House to prevail upon the RTGoNU to avail funding and expedite implementation of the critical pending elections-related tasks. 

8. Under Chapter II of the R-ARCSS, ceasefire violations significantly increased during the quarter, particularly involving the SSPDF and SPLA IO across the Upper Nile, Jonglei, Western Equatoria, Central Equatoria and Eastern Equatoria States, signalling widespread breaches of the Permanent Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements. 

9. CTSAMVM has been unable to investigate most of the reported clashes due to access challenges in some areas and a high level of violence in others. The institution also reports challenges related to SPLA-IO representation in the CTSAMVM structures. Meanwhile, no progress was made towards commencement of Phase II of the unification of forces. RJMEC is extremely concerned with the deteriorating security situation in the country and the lack of adherence to the Permanent Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements and urges the RTGoNU and Parties to the R-ARCSS to cease all forms of hostilities, restore full adherence to the permanent ceasefire and reactivate functionality of all security-related institutions and mechanisms in order to address the security situation within the framework of the R-ARCSS.

10. In terms of Humanitarian Assistance and Reconstruction, the humanitarian situation worsened during the reporting period. This was driven by the ongoing conflict, climate shocks, and cross-border displacement from Sudan. 

11. Whereas the number of South Sudanese requiring humanitarian assistance increased, donor support continued to shrink, forcing international agencies to scale down key programmes. Additionally, basic service delivery, reliant mainly on humanitarian partners, remained deeply constrained. Urgent steps should be taken to address the deteriorating humanitarian situation and provide assistance to those in need. RJMEC appeals to this august House to expedite enactment of the NGO Amendment Bill to streamline operations of aid agencies in the delivery of assistance.

12. On Resource, Economic and Financial Management, the RTGoNU Economic Cluster approved a national budget of 5.2 trillion South Sudanese Pounds (approximately US $1.116 billion) for the 2025–2026 fiscal year. 

13. Meanwhile, crude oil production in the Upper Nile oil fields had recommenced following the completion of repairs to the pipeline transporting oil to Port Sudan. However, the pieces of legislation regulating the oil industry, which were reviewed by the National Constitutional Amendment Committee (NCAC) since 2022, have not been enacted. 

14. Regarding the management of natural resources under the South Sudan Comprehensive Agriculture Master Plan (CAMP), technical teams from relevant ministries have undertaken a thorough review and drafting of several key policies, including those pertaining to agriculture, mechanization, small enterprises, seeds, natural resources, livestock, and fisheries. The Animal Breeding Policy has been finalized and is pending approval, while critical strategies such as the National Blue Economy and Animal Welfare are currently in development. Additionally, the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries is formulating 15 legislative bills to regulate the sector, with four presently under consideration by the Ministry of Justice.

15. Under Transitional Justice, some progress was made with the nomination of persons to serve in the Selection Panel for the establishment of the Commission for Truth, Reconciliation, and Healing (CTRH). The Selection Panel, once established, is mandated to recruit four (04) South Sudanese Commissioners of the CTRH. Further, the African Union Commission has established its own process to recruit three (03) non-South Sudanese CTRH Commissioners. Meanwhile, there was no new progress made towards establishment of the Compensation and Reparation Authority (CRA). There was also no progress registered in the establishment of the Hybrid Court for South Sudan (HCSS). 

16. Regarding the Parameters of the Permanent Constitution, some progress was made in the constitution-making process in terms of civic education and public consultations, including submission of a South Sudanese Women’s Charter on the Permanent Constitution-making prepared by the Ministry of Gender, Child and Social Welfare (MGCSW), and preparations for the conduct of civic education and public consultation in the States and Administrative Areas.

Right Hon. Speaker, Honourable Members,

17. In response to the precarious political and security situation in the country, RJMEC briefed this esteemed Assembly twice and intensified engagements with the RTGoNU, regional guarantors, and international stakeholders throughout the quarter in a bid to restore the sanctity of the R-ARCSS, and to appeal for de-escalation and inclusive dialogue, and a return to full implementation of the Revitalised Peace Agreement in letter and spirit. 

18. In light of the delicate political and security situation, serious violations of the R-ARCSS and the ongoing judicial process, RJMEC offers the following recommendations to this august House for upholding the sanctity of the R-ARCSS and a return to its full implementation: 

a. Consider and endorse the RJMEC report; 

b. Urge the Parties’ leaderships to desist from taking actions that further erode the political trust and confidence in the Revitalised Peace Agreement and ensure that the political disagreements are resolved through dialogue and disputes addressed through agreed mechanisms of the R-ARCSS;

c. Encourage the RTGoNU to urgently resolve the current political and security crisis and return to full and inclusive implementation of the R-ARCSS;

d. Urge the RTGoNU to expedite implementation of the ad-hoc Judicial Reform Committee’s report and its recommendations, in letter and spirit, especially through the review and amendment of the Judiciary Act and reconstitution of the Judicial Service Commission to implement the requisite reforms;

e. Further, urge the RTGoNU to expedite the re-tabling of the National Security Service Act before the TNLA for reconsideration;

f. Expedite the enactment of the pending laws revised by the NCAC, such as the two Petroleum laws and the NGO Bill;

g. Urge the RTGoNU to avail sufficient funding to the National Constitutional Review Commission in a timely manner to enable it to roll out the civic education and public consultation campaigns to all parts of the country; 

h. Further encourage the RTGoNU to expand and protect political and civic space to enable the return of some peace partners to the Agreement mechanisms and further the creation of a conducive environment for implementation of elections and constitution-making-related tasks; and

i. Urge the RTGoNU to work towards realising free, fair and credible elections in December 2026.

I Thank You.