Radio Miraya
2732: Nairobi Peace Talks: Youth Representative at the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission, Patrick Godi
- Good morning, my name is Patrick Godi. The youth representative to the Arjamaq, the current oversight body monitoring the implementation of the revitalized agreement on the resolution of conflict in South Sudan. I am currently in Nairobi, invited to participate in the high level mediation for South Sudan, which is a new process that is hosted by the government of the Republic of Kenya in a quest to bring about inclusive peace in South Sudan. As you all know, the 2018 peace agreement was not signed by all the parties to the conflict. So now with this initiative, we are hoping that those who are still holding out with their arms in the bushes in South Sudan, and those who also continue to oppose the government will through this process be able to put forward their issues. - You did make your presentation as members of the civil society last week on Friday. What are some of the issues you raised to the mediators which you expect from the government today? - So we did analyze the contributors, the drivers to conflict in South Sudan, and we looked at them from four dimensions as provided by the mediation. So we did look at justice economy and social issues. We also did look at the nature of our security and also lastly the governance. And collectively, these are some of the critical sectors where we have phone gaps. And some of those gaps have in one way or the other created grievances over the long period of time. So some of the issues, for instance, when you look at justice, we did highlight the issue of arbitrary arrest without due process, you know? That is a key issue around justice, but also the lack of access to justice by ordinary citizens, which we did highlight as a major contributor to a fertile ground that enables conflict to continue in the country. When you come to the economy, of course, right now, as you know, we're undergoing a depressing situation where there is hyperinflation. And also we did highlight that in our report that it is undermining the livelihood of our people. And of course, this also provides a fertile ground for mobilization of especially young people into conflicts. When you look at the security sector, we highlighted the lack of professionalism, the lack of good welfare of the current SSPDF members and all the other security organs. And we say this is also contributing in one or the other to the uneasy relationship between the security sector and citizens. But also overall, we did put forward ideas on how the security sector can be reformed so that it is professional, so that it is reflecting the national character of South Sudan as a way of mitigating future conflicts. - So what are your expectations? Has your weight for the government to do their presentation to the mediators this morning? - So the issues raised from across the board from the position parties and also from other stakeholders like us, I believe legitimate, genuine issues. I think we have a convergence that there is a problem across these four dimensions that I mentioned to you. And if we are really honest and sincerely seeking for the inclusive piece as the president of South Sudan, his excellence, Salva Kir mentioned during the official launch, then it is important that the government puts critical attention and comes out with really a comprehensive responses that not only satisfy our ears, but also shows commitment and acknowledgement that there is a problem. And we are also willing to be a part of finding the solution collectively with the opposition parties and also the civil society. So I am hoping that there will be firstly a positive response satisfactory. And I believe it will not be a defensive responses that try to undermine the legitimacy of these issues that have been raised. - You are a member of the US representation to ARJMAK and most of all what we have raised here are being discussed in ARJMAK player meeting in Juba. And almost all these are being implemented in the real-party life-based agreement. Why are you raising this in Nairobi? Why don't you use the platform in ARJMAK during the meetings in Juba to raise all the concerns you are raising here in Nairobi? - Yes, you are right, Sunny. These issues we have been actually discussing them for the last four years during the course of the implementation of the current agreement. But also we have to recognize that there are people who continue to fail. There is inadequate actions by the government to fundamentally change the situation. Because you continue to see that the economic situation is not getting any better. The security, the wave of inter-communal conflicts that have happened if we are to take even only this year is terrifying. So there continue to be a problem and we cannot shy away from using whatever platform that is available to raise these issues and to draw the attention of the government to say, "You know, we appreciate what you have been doing. "They have been some gains." But there could be more than to really achieve a comprehensive strategy to address these issues. But also you see that, for instance, the opposition parties, they have been crying out that the root causes of conflict in South Sudan have not been addressed. So again, we are here to add our voices. And I think the most important thing for me in this process is how we can be able to generate political will to once and for all address some of these issues. I think the current agreement is good enough that there has not been a lot of success in terms of comprehensively implementing it. And that's why we continue to see the challenges that were there before the agreement was signed and when it was signed. And even now when this narrative process started. And does it worry you as a civil society group that the two major parties are absent in this talk? The Thomas Cyrilo group and Simon Gattuich. Yes, Thomas Cyrilo, he's a key actor in the conflict landscape in South Sudan, as well as General Simon Gattuich. And it was a hope when we're coming here that as the president put his in sick of an inclusive piece, that there will be part and partial of this process. Now that they are not here, I think I do not want to undermine the potential threat that they will still continue to pause to the country because of the absence. And of course, if they are not part of this process, then it simply means that they will not abide by whatever agreements that are rich here, including a session of hostilities. So yes, it continued to worry us and we're still encouraging the mediation to continuously engage with General Thomas Cyrilo and General Simon Gattuich to see that they become a part of this process because it was reiterated during the official launch that this perhaps offers the last chance to resolve the perpetual conflicts in South Sudan. And if that is the case, indeed, then it's important that the key actors like General Thomas and Simon Gattuich are part of this important process to comprehensively end this conflict in South Sudan. What are your expectations from these talks? Well, I am hoping that through the Nairobi talks, we'll have sufficient political will, support from the region diplomatically, financially, to implement whatever outcome that is rich from here. I am also hoping that this process will not be ordinarily another coming together of GovBank and opposition parties to sign a beautiful document that ends up not being implemented. So I hope it will fundamentally address the grievances, the historical issues of South Sudanese people, everyday people, and it will be a people-centered agreement that not only shares powers among the political elites in the country.