World awaits South Sudan unity government

South Sudan is expected to set up a transitional government of national unity this Friday. This is in accordance with a peace agreement signed August 2015.

President Kiir signed the deal with the rebels under pressure from the UN Security Council which had promised to “act immediately “ if he did otherwise.

The various parties involved in the negotiation process recently shared ministries among themselves without disagreement.

A source with the joint monitoring and evaluation commission in charge of implementing the peace agreement refused to comment on whether the deadline will be respected or not.

The UN mission in Juba has been assisting the peace process upon request.

“This week we supported the SPLM in opposition meeting in Pagak, by facilitating the move of an SPLA-iO delegation from Juba to Pagak so issues pertaining to the peace agreement could be discussed. The delegation flew from Juba to Pagak on Tuesday and shall be back this Friday,” Ariane Quentier, spokesperson of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan said in an email to Africanews.

According to sudantribune.com, the parties to the agreement in accordance with the executive power sharing provisions, resolved to give 16 ministries to the government, 10 to the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement under Riek Machar while former detainees and other political parties shared the remaining 6.

Reik Machar and some opposition leaders contested a decision by president Salva Kiir to split South Sudan’s 10 states into 28, arguing that increasing the number of states violates the peace deal.

However, some observers think recent developments could act as a speed brake to today’s historic event.

Meanwhile, the humanitarian situation remains disturbing. “Hunger and malnutrition are present in locations that were previously considered stable. About 3.9 million people according to IPA-nearly one in every three people in South Sudan,” Eugene Owusu, UN humanitarian co-ordinator for South Sudan said.

The humanitarian crisis caused by two years of fighting has created food crisis with about 600,000 children below the age of five suffering from malnutrition.

The ongoing conflict in South Sudan erupted in December 2013 when president Kiir sacked his deputy Reik Machar and accused him of planning a coup.