IGAD official calls for rotational chair of South Sudan ceasefire monitors

JUBA – A former South Sudan ceasefire monitor urged the regional bloc IGAD (Intergovernmental Authority for Development) to adopt a rotational leadership for the ceasefire monitoring body (CTSAMVM), criticizing the current system heavily reliant on Ethiopian leadership.

Major General Bior Leek Kuareng, who previously represented detainees in CTSAMVM, called for a rotational chair during the Juba Technical Committee meeting on Thursday.

“I will take this opportunity also to urge the IGAD to reconsider the chairmanship of the CTSAMVM. It has to be rotated, it has to be rotating if we are from IGAD,” Bior said.

He proposed Somalia or another neighboring country take the lead.

“Even bring someone from Somalia, but sticking every time in one country is what hurts these CTSAMVM because when you look at the executive director is from the same country, the chairman is from the same country, Ethiopia,” Bior argued. “This is what hurts the credibility of CTSAMVM.”

Bior’s request follows a history of Ethiopian chairs, including the current one. He alleged bias towards the international community from these Ethiopian leaders.

Bior claimed the former chairman, also Ethiopian, closed monitoring teams in Torit and Bor due to funding constraints while receiving extended stays in Juba at CTSAMVM’s expense.

“They blamed the closure of the Monitoring and Verification Teams (MVTs) on finances because they don’t have money. Meanwhile, the former chairman was here for two months being catered for by the citizens of South Sudan, there is no transparency, moving with expensive tickets around the region,” Bior said.

“That’s why the former chairman ran out and then brought a letter from the executive director who is not in the agreements, we are talking about the agreements. So here there is a long way to go,” he added.

Bior further accused the body of straying from its mandate of monitoring, verifying, and reporting ceasefire violations.

“Also, I’m urging CTSAMVM to stick to its mandate. Your mandate is very clear, to monitor, verify and report. You are not here as NGOs because some people express their view calling for the CTSAMVM to help in the agreement,” he said.

“There is no way to help the agreement but to monitor the agreement and report the violations,” Bior concluded.