South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir Mayardit on Tuesday ordered state governors and chief administrators to report to the national cabinet for failing to run affairs in their own backyard.
This comes after conflicts were reported between members of the state cabinet and the legislature, which forced President Kiir to order governors to submit their reports to the national council of ministers for scrutiny.
“I want to register some concerns about how some of you govern the states, I am reliably informed that some of you do not govern your states according to the constitution and the law, there are conflicts between the executive and the state assemblies which make the states unstable,” said President Kiir during the opening of the 7th governors forum in Juba.
“In this regard, I am going to direct the national institutions responsible for governance to develop mechanism that will ensure that governors present their reports to the national council of ministers for scrutiny as required by the constitution so that there are minimum standards,” he added.
The 7th governors’ forum is taking place under the theme, “Fostering national cohesion among South Sudanese people, taking peaceful path to democratic transition.”
President Kiir also encouraged parties to the 2018 revitalized peace agreement to continue to cooperate in the implementation of the pending tasks, adding that it is the only way to build sustainable peace.
Nicholas Haysom, the Head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan said the governors’ forum will provide solutions to challenges in the implementation of the peace agreement.
“UNMISS hopes that this week’s forum will open a platform for problem solving on the challenges that you face as you enter the final year of your transition, we think it is important to take advantage of your collective presence here in Juba to discuss a united approach on peace and stability in the remaining transitional period,” said Haysom.
He said that completing the transitional period requires strong partnership between the national and subnational levels of government and strong strategic partnership with the international community.
South Sudan is due for national elections at the end of the current transitional period in December 2024.
The parties to the revitalized peace agreement are yet to complete the full training and deployment of the 83,000 unified forces, enactment of the permanent constitution and establishing of transitional justice and accountability mechanisms under chapter five of the peace agreement.
