The Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission in South Sudan has decried increased hostilities amongst government and opposition parties.
They also raised the red flag on flagrant violations of the ceasefire and the emergence of new opposition and armed groups.
"The rapidly deteriorating political, security, humanitarian and economic situation in the country has caused unprecedented displacement, famine, and growing civilian flight."
"The pace of the implementation of the Peace Agreement has been too slow, and challenges abound," JMEC chairperson Festus Mogae said on Monday.
He was addressing the 31st Extraordinary Summit of IGAD in Addis Ababa.
This means 14 months into the transitional period, after the formation of the Transition Government of National Unity in April 2016 — and barely 16 months left to the end of the transitional period in August 2018 — the people of South Sudan are yet to enjoy the peace that the implementation of the agreement was expected to deliver.
"It is regrettable that progress and good efforts of the TGoNU continue to be overshadowed, and in some cases reversed by the ongoing hostilities."
"The humanitarian condition in the country continues to be precarious, mainly due to the persistence of armed violence in various parts of the country," Mogae said.
He, however, reported that some components of the Joint Integrated Police have been trained and are ready for deployment in due course.
According to the UN OCHA Humanitarian Bulletin Report of May 28, 3.7 million South Sudanese have been driven from their homes.
Some of them live in the protection of civilian sites, others are internally displaced and much more in refugee settlements in neighbouring countries such as Kenya and Uganda.
According to the same report, a total of 5.5 million people is food insecure.
In addition, there are continuing reports of human rights violations including killings, sexual violence, arbitrary arrests, and detentions.
In this regard, Mogae welcomed the recent decision by the governments of Sudan and Kenya to open more humanitarian corridors to deliver much-needed aid to the long- suffering people of South Sudan.
He called on the IGAD member states to help country's citizens.
"As the main guarantors to the peace agreement, IGAD should act collectively and decisively, speak with one voice and demand that the leaders of South Sudan end the violence, and pursue a political solution and return to full implementation of the peace deal."
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