This is not the kind of the unity government we want – European Union

JUBA – A senior European Union (EU) diplomat has said that the current unity government in South Sudan is not the kind that the continental body wants.

“You cannot have a proper new transitional unity government without a parliament. There are no real check and balances at the moment and this is not the kind of government the international community is ready to speak with for long-term planning of development,” Alessandro Rossi, EU’s deputy head of mission to South Sudan, said.

The EU diplomat said the implementation of the revitalized peace agreement is not going as expected saying the security arrangements are not completed ruling out any support for the government the unity government.

“If the security arrangements are not completed, if transitional justice has not even started, if public finance management is not redressed then we cannot speak of appropriate implementation of the peace agreement,” Rossi.

Most of the provisions of the revitalized peace agreement, most importantly the security arrangements which provides for the formation of a unified and professional national army, have not been implemented.

The United Nations Secretary-General said in a report last week that the government was not sending its forces to training centers where opposition forces are currently stationed for training.