Ambassador Pelle Enarsson's Statement at the fourth extraordinary CTSAMVM meeting

Thank you Chair, Maj. Gen. Teshome Anagawe, for the floor and congratulations for chairing your first meeting of the CTSAMVM Board. 

We very much welcome the resumption of the meetings of the Board after several months and see this as an important step to get the implementation of the peace agreement back on track. We hope that the mechanism under your leadership can resume having ordinary meetings going forward.

The European Union as well as many other partners like the Chair of the African Union Commission, the AU PSC, the C-5 and IGAD has called for ceasefire, dialogue and a return to the peace agreement implementation. In response we have heard from the Government the commitment to peace and the peace agreement. But the reality is the eruption of conflicts in many parts of the country between different actors with a long list of violations of the ceasefire and the peace agreement. These incidents undermine peace and election process, risk further conflict and break the national unity. Violence cannot be a tool to achieve political objectives. It only breeds more violence.

The implementation of the interim security arrangement of chapter two of the peace agreement remains essential and we encourage any progress in this regard. Expediting the unification of forces, their training and their redeployment is the only way ahead, not least to stop the unfortunate fragmentation of forces and lack of clear command structures that we are witnessing at this moment. This requires a whole of Government approach. 

We are concerned about the increase of access denial for CTSAMVM monitors. The mandate of the mechanism is crucial for peace process in South Sudan, and it is equally crucial that the Government is fully cooperating with the mechanism. 

We have taken good note of the announcement of the National Transitional Committee that the second phase of training for the Necessary Unified Forces will begin in September 2025, will last three months, with nationwide deployment planned for December to promote peace and security ahead of the 2026 general elections. We have not yet seen progress in this area. 

Security is crucially important for the holding of elections in December 2026, which we believe is the best way forward for South Sudan. The European Union supports all efforts toward this objective but remains concerned about the lack of preparation and the lack of political decisions. The National Electoral Commission cannot do it alone, it needs political guidance, e.g. on the electoral calendar. 

Let me recall the promise of the Government of September 2024 to present a plan for the way forward in the implementation of the peace agreement. So far there is no plan, not even an extended roadmap. A plan with a clear, coherent and overarching action plan, feasible budget and timeline for the implementation of the priority tasks for the extended transitional period remains essential. 

Chair, thank you for assembling the Board, hopefully to be followed by ordinary meetings to discuss violation reports and continue the proper verification of the peace agreement implementation.