Scepticism around new JPA implementation matrix and Minawi’s speech

JUBA / KHARTOUM – February 21, 2023

There were several sceptical reactions to the signing of the new Juba Peace Agreement (JPA) implementation matrix. Governor of the Darfur Region Minni Minawi’s speech at the signing ceremony was criticised and described as ‘useless’ after he blamed the international community for the lacking JPA implementation.

Yagoub Furi, head of the Darfur Displaced and Refugee Camps Coordination, has expressed scepticism regarding the importance of the updated matrix for the implementation of the 2020 JPA that was signed on Sunday.

Speaking to Radio Dabanga, Furi attributed the non-implementation of the JPA to “the lack of real will and desire of the signatory parties”. He referred to the fact that the Darfur displaced were not involved in the JPA, “which is not surprising as they [signatories] are fighting for over chairs and abandoned the real issues”.

Blaming the international community and mediators is useless, he said, referring to statements made by Governor of the Darfur Region Minni Minawi.

Furi called on the signatories, the Sudanese government, and the 14 rebel movements that make up the Sudan Revolutionary Front, “to order their forces to stop killing, looting, raping, and otherwise assaulting the people of Darfur”.

Writer and political analyst Mohamed Hereika was also critical of Minawi’s speech and described it as “useless”.

Minawi spoke about the ‘international community’s failure’ to fulfil the JPA and the absence of the UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS) in the process.

Hereika explained that the international community and UNITAMS supported and supervised the signing of the Framework Agreement on December 5 last year.

“Minawi chose not to sign the Framework Agreement, and before that, he rebelled against the international community by supporting the October 2021 coup, which he is still doing,” he told Radio Dabanga.

Tut Galuak, head of the South Sudanese team that mediated the peace negotiations between the Sudanese government and the Sudan Revolutionary Front, also holds the signatories to the 2020 Juba Peace Agreement responsible for the lacking implementation of the agreement to date, not the international community. 

During his address to the official opening of the workshop last week, Galuak said “you left the displaced and stayed in Khartoum”.

Last year, the displaced lamented that ‘not even 1% of the Juba Peace Agreement’ had been implemented. Little progress has been made since.

Inability

Journalist and political analyst Ali El Dali said that “the inability to implement the matrix of the JPA was more than evident during the Juba workshop.

“The JPA can only be implemented by a civilian government that is recognised by the international community,” he said. “The military coup d’état of October 25 was the main reason for not implementing the original matrix.”

El Dali did add that “most of the provisions of the JPA need money, which can only be provided by the international community”.