Juba Peace Agreement

Juba Peace Agreement
Name	Juba Peace Agreement
Date signed	2020
Location signed	Juba, South Sudan
Parties	Multiple South Sudanese armed groups and the Government of South Sudan
Language	English

Juba Peace Agreement

The Juba Peace Agreement is a 2020 political accord reached in Juba between the Government of South Sudan and a coalition of armed movements and political groups aimed at ending prolonged conflict in South Sudan and integrating parties into a transitional framework. The accord sought to expand provisions of the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan and to address armed opposition, security arrangements, and political inclusion through negotiated power-sharing, amnesty, and cantonment measures. Negotiations convened by regional and international actors drew on mediation practices from earlier accords such as the Comprehensive Peace Agreement and peace processes involving the Intergovernmental Authority on Development and the African Union.

Background and context

The accord emerged in the aftermath of the 2013–2018 South Sudanese Civil War and subsequent violence involving groups including the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-in-Opposition and splinter factions. Efforts to stabilise South Sudan followed earlier instruments like the 2015 Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan and the 2018 Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan, which addressed power-sharing between leaders such as Salva Kiir and Riek Machar. The humanitarian crisis triggered interventions by organisations including the United Nations, the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, and humanitarian agencies such as International Committee of the Red Cross and UNICEF. Regional diplomacy involved governments of Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, and multilateral actors like the European Union and Troika envoys.

Negotiation process

Mediation took place in Juba under the auspices of South Sudanese authorities with facilitation by envoys from Intergovernmental Authority on Development and liaison with the United Nations and the African Union Commission. Negotiators included representatives from armed movements such as the National Salvation Front (South Sudan) and political leaders from formations like the South Sudan Opposition Alliance. Talks referenced previous ceasefires such as the 2016 cessation of hostilities and drew on precedents set during the Nairobi talks and earlier peace conferences. Track II diplomacy involved civil society actors including Catholic Church delegations, faith-based mediators, and diaspora interlocutors based in capitals like Addis Ababa and Nairobi.

Key provisions and terms

Major provisions addressed disarmament, demobilisation, and reintegration (DDR) pathways, cantonment of forces, integration into unified security structures including the South Sudan People's Defense Forces, and transitional political arrangements expanding the executive and legislative composition at the Transitional Government of National Unity level. The accord included amnesty clauses for combatants tied to instruments resembling provisions in earlier accords such as the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (2005), measures for resource-sharing impacting oil-producing states like Unity State and Upper Nile State, and timelines for ceasefire implementation. Provisions also anticipated formation of commissions on constitutional review, compensation mechanisms for victims referencing reparations debates seen in regions like Bahr el Ghazal and Warrap State, and arrangements for humanitarian access coordinated with UNMISS and relief agencies.

Signatories and participating parties

Signatories encompassed an array of armed movements and political groups, including splinter factions formerly associated with the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-in-Opposition (SPLM-IO), groups linked to leaders such as Thomas Cirilo, and parties from the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA)]. The Government of South Sudan signed on behalf of the incumbent executive led by Salva Kiir Mayardit, while international guarantors and witnesses included representatives from the African Union, Intergovernmental Authority on Development, and envoys from the United Nations Security Council and bilateral partners like China and United States. Traditional authorities and community leaders from areas such as Pibor and Yei River County participated in endorsing ceremonies.

Implementation and monitoring mechanisms

Implementation mechanisms envisaged joint monitoring bodies drawing membership from signatory parties, regional guarantors, and international partners including observers from the United Nations and the African Union Commission. Verification of cantonment and DDR relied on joint committees modelled on those in prior agreements, with timelines for integration into national security organs overseen by technical committees and mixed-security coordination cells. Monitoring also invoked the role of the Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring Mechanism format and reporting to multilateral bodies such as the UN Security Council and the African Union Peace and Security Council. Funding and logistical support proposals involved cooperation with donors including the World Bank and humanitarian coordination through OCHA.

Reception, impact, and criticisms

Reception among international actors ranged from cautious endorsement by the United Nations and European Union to calls for robust monitoring from the United States and Norway. Local responses were mixed: some armed groups hailed pathways to political inclusion while civil society organisations and human rights institutions such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International urged accountability for alleged atrocities and criticized broad amnesty provisions. Analysts compared the accord's prospects to earlier accords like the Revitalised Agreement and warned about implementation risks including factional noncompliance, limited capacity of security institutions like the SSPDF to absorb combatants, and resource disputes in oil regions. Continued incidents of localized violence in counties including Leer and Jonglei underscored challenges to consolidation, prompting ongoing mediation efforts by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development and renewed engagement by international stakeholders.

Category:Peace treaties of South Sudan