South African Deputy President, Paul Mashatile, is Cyril Ramaphosa’s point man for South Sudan and was in the continent’s newest country this week to talk peace.
The SA government’s news agency reported he was in the troubled East African country to track implementation of R-ARCSS (Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in South Sudan) with “resolving challenges that may hinder free and fair elections at the end of the transition period” also on his agenda.
He, SAnews has it, noted some concerns raised by Vice President Riek Machar, including refugees and a permanent constitution for the country.
“We’ve agreed that we will look into the issues raised. A commitment to move forward to complete the peace process and have the election is agreed to. The Vice President is committed to ensuring we achieve this within the timeframes agreed upon, which is February 2025 for the election.”
Mashatile’s task as special envoy is to help the parties to the transitional government of national unity in South Sudan with implementation of the R-ARCSS.
The power-sharing agreement was signed between the warring parties in August 2018 in a bid to end a five-year civil war.
