Supporting the Implementation of the Peace Agreement ARCISS
Project description
Project title: Supporting the Implementation of the Peace Agreement (ARCISS) in South Sudan
Commissioned by: Federal Foreign Office
Country: South Sudan
Lead executing agency: Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC); Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring Mechanism (CTSAMM)
Overall term: 2016 to 2020
Context
South Sudan has been independent since mid-2011. Since late 2013, there has been an armed conflict between the supporters of the President and his former Vice President. In August 2015, a peace agreement was concluded following several months of negotiations in an international process – the Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (ARCISS). The agreement formulates numerous measures for the settlement of the conflict as well as the introduction of comprehensive political reforms for a roughly three-year transition period, such as implementing safety procedures, complying with humanitarian standards, initiating a reconciliation and healing process as well as introducing political reforms that are intended to address the deep-seated causes of the conflict. However, the implementation of the measures was thwarted by renewed fighting in July 2016. The situation remains extremely fragile.
New committees were created to support the peace process: The Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC) will monitor the implementation of the peace process while the Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring Mechanism (CTSAMM) will monitor the ceasefire. Both committees are still in the development process. They also face additional challenges due to the renewed fighting and depend on human resources and financial support.
Objective
The Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC) and the Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring Mechanism (CTSAMM) fulfil their mandate from the peace agreement.
Approach
The project strengthens the institutional abilities of JMEC and CTSAMM.
Supporting the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC)
The project provides groundwork and organisational development for the JMEC Secretariat to support the monitoring of the peace process, to improve reporting and work processes and to promote the coordination between the donors. The project provides funds for operative and administrative costs. The use of the subsidies and financial control are contractually agreed between GIZ and JMEC.
The JMEC Special Advisors are supported with their tasks. They report back to the Chairman of the commission to support him with the monitoring of the reform processes. If there are delays or violations during the implementation of the agreement and its provisions, the Special Advisors offer suggestions for improvement to the Chairman. JMEC Special Advisors are the link between the JMEC, the transitional government in South Sudan and the different institutions of the peace agreement; they participate in their measures.
Supporting the Ceasefire and Transitional Security Monitoring Mechanism (CTSAMM)
The peace agreement includes comprehensive provisions for the ceasefire and security arrangements during the transitional period. CTSAMM is tasked with the monitoring of these provisions, and violations of the ceasefire should be observed and documented in particular.
The project provides funds for the operative and administrative costs of the CTSAMM Secretariat. The use of the subsidies and financial control is contractually agreed between GIZ and CTSAMM. The project also provides advice to the CTSAMM Secretariat on organisational development to support monitoring, to improve reporting and work processes, and to promote the coordination among the donors.
The observers of the ceasefire and the security arrangement are trained so that they can perform their monitoring duties more professionally and more effectively. The project uses appraisers for this purpose and provides needs-oriented training in cooperation with other institutions.
Results
Despite the current crisis and renewed fighting in South Sudan, JMEC and CTSAMM have established themselves and started working under the difficult conditions.
With 15 observer teams, CTSAMM is now present in different parts of the country in a large scale and reports regularly and in-depth on violations of the ceasefire. CTSAMM therefore has significantly improved the baseline on the development of the conflict for the international community as well.
JMEC has continuously gotten involved and participated in the peace process at different levels with the objective of bringing the conflict parties back onto the path of implementing the peace agreement. JMEC has independently put forward concerns and recommendations, including in the United Nations Security Council.