JUBA, May 9 (Xinhua) -- A Norwegian charity on Thursday called on South Sudan leaders to ensure a power-sharing government is in place within the new extended timeframe.
Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) warned that millions of war-weary citizens cannot afford any more delays in the peace process, especially after another important deadline passed with no prospects of a lasting peace.
"This extension is an opportunity for all parties to continue negotiating and to crucially move forward with the peace agreement's most contentious clauses," Miklos Gosztonyi, policy adviser with the NRC, said in a statement issued in Juba.
Signatories to the 2018 peace agreement on May 3 agreed to extend formation of the transitional government by six months following delays in the implementation of the pact.
"It is imperative that they engage in dialogue, make compromises, and deliver on the promises of peace," Gosztonyi said.
The six-month extension was granted to give the parties more time for the formation of a transitional government of national unity after they failed to resolve issues by the May 12 deadline, the date initially agreed when the peace agreement was signed in September 2018.
"Now that power-sharing arrangements have been agreed towards the formation of the unity government, the parties should engage with the clauses of the agreement and agree to address the root causes of the conflict," Gosztonyi said.
He said the people of South Sudan have been living on the edge for too long and cannot afford any more delays to the peace they were promised.
According to Gosztonyi, while the signing of the fragile peace deal eight months ago has seen a reduction in fighting among the signatories, violence continues in some areas.
He said there has been inter-communal fighting, cattle raiding, and clashes involving groups that did not sign the peace agreement, amid deterioration of the humanitarian situation, with millions of people facing a growing food crisis as a result of the conflict.
"The food security situation continues to deteriorate mainly due to families fleeing conflict, low crop production, and humanitarian access challenges," Gosztonyi said. "Around 80 percent of people in South Sudan are living below the absolute poverty line."
